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,..  Of  PH 


Four  Portraits 

OF    THE 

LORD   JESUS   CHRIST 


Some  Suggestions  for 

Young  Christians   beginning  to  study 

the  Gospels 


By  GEORGE  SOLTAU 


CHARLES    C.    COOK 

150  Nassau  Street  New  York,   N.  Y 


Copyright,  1905, 

BY 

Charles    C.    Cook. 


FOREWORD 


BY   C.   I.    SCOFIELD,   D.D. 

TTAVING  had  the  privilege  of  reading  the  advance 
sheets  of  "Four  Portraits  of  the  Lord  Jesus 
Christ,"  by  Rev.  George  Soltau,  it  gives  me  pleasure  to 
commend  it  unreservedly.  Of  the  making  of  "Lives  of 
Christ,"  there  is  no  end;  but  they  all  have  the  grave 
defect  of  incompleteness.  The  materials  for  a  Hfe  of 
Christ  do  not  exist.  Four  men,  inspired  by  the  Holy 
Spirit,  wrote  four  books,  known  as  the  Gospels,  in  which 
they  presented  the  one  Personality  in  His  four  great  char- 
acters; but  it  was  no  part  of  their  purpose  to  write  a 
narrative  biography.  It  is  not  possible  to  produce  such  a 
biography  from  the  fragmentary  accounts  which  they  give 
of  His  words  and  works.  The  harmonists  are  in  hopeless 
disagreement. 

But  the  harmonized  Lives  of  Christ  not  only  fail  of 
necessity  to  tell  the  great  story — they  serve  but  to  confuse 
the  divine  intent  in  the  four  Gospels.  They  give  a  blur, 
and  not  a  portrait.  They  have  the  effect  of  a  composite 
photograph. 

There  is,  therefore,  need  for  this  book.  Helped  by  its 
suggestions,  the  student  of  the  four  Gospels  will  be  brought 
into  a  clear  vision  of  the  Christ  in  the  four  ways  in  which 
He  stands  related  to  God  and  man;  and  through  which 
He  works  out,  in  ordered  beauty  and  perfectness,  the 
divine  purpose. 


CONTENTS 


CHAPTER.  PAGE. 

I.     Introductory.    Survey  of  the  Four  Portraits..         i 

II.     St.  Matthew:    "The   King."     Divisions,   Key- 
word, Scope    17 

III.  St.  Matthew:     The    King's    Five    Proclama- 

tions         35 

IV.  St.  Matthew:     The    Parables  —  Photographic 

and   Prophetic (fj 

V.    St.  Mark:     "The    Servant."      His    Character, 

Conduct,  Treatment  Received 84 

VI.     St.  Mark:     The  Servant  at  Work 99 

VII.    St.  Luke:     "The    Man."     His    Prayerfulness, 

Compassion,    Humanity 126 

VIII.     St.  Luke:    A  Prophet;  Teaching  of  God,  of 

Sin,  and  of  Prayer  153 

IX.     St.  John :  "The  Son  of  God."  Keywords,  Mes- 

siahship    176 

X.     St.  John :    The  Signs 197 

XI.     St.  John:    The  Sent  One,  the  Lamb  of  God. .     207 

XII.    The  Closing  Week.    The  Crucifixion;  the  Su- 
perscription         216 

XIII.    The  Resurrection   and  Ascension 231 

Appendix.    What    is    the   True    Explanation    of   the 

Death  of  Christ 255 


MANY  NAMES  ARE  DEAR. 

Many  names  are  dear,  but  His  is  dearer; 

How  it  grows  more  dear  as  life  goes  on! 
Many  friends  are  near,  but  He  is  nearer, 

Always  what  we  want  and  all  our  own. 

Jesus,  Jesus,  let  us  ever  say  it 

Softly  to  ourselves  as  some  sweet  spell; 

Jesus,  Jesus,  troubled  spirit,  lay  it 

On  thy  heart  and  it  will  make  thee  well. 

In  the  hour  of  gloom  it  shines  before  us. 
Like  that  welcome  star  that  gilds  the  morn; 

Vanished  hope  and  joy  it  will  restore  us, 
Till  their  sudden  rays  our  soul  adorn. 

Jesus!  Jesus!  in  the  home  of  glory, 

Still  that  lovely  name  shall  tune  our  lays, 

Jesus!  Jesus!   all  the  wondrous  story 
Of  His  love  shall  fill  eternal  days. 

P.  Skene. 


Four  portraits  of  the 
LORD  Jesus  Christ 


I 


CfiAPTER    I. 

INTRODUCTORY. 
T  has  pleased  God  to  give  us,  in  His  Word,  four 
narratives  of  the  earthly  life  of  His  Son  the 
Lord  Jesus,  as  contained  in  the  four  Gospels.  These 
four  portraits  are  drawn  by  four  different  men,  who 
present  them  to  us  from  four  different  standpoints  of 
vision.  It  has  long  been  a  practice  for  Bible  students 
to  attempt  to  draw  up  a  harmony  of  the  four 
Gospels.  While  this  is,  no  doubt,  very  interesting, 
yet  is  it  not  obvious  that  the  object  of  the  Holy 
Spirit,  in  giving  us  four  such  distinct  narratives,  is 
to  fix  attention  on  the  individual  features  presented 
by  each  writer,  rather  than  to  enable  us  to  draw  up 
a  consecutive  history  of  the  words  and  works  of  the 
Son  of  God  ?  There  will  be  considerable  profit  and 
blessing  resulting  from  a  study  of  these  four  separ- 
ately, sedcing  to  discover  what  may  be  the  distinctive 
features  in  each  case,  and  what  may  be  the  lessons 
the  spirit  of  God  would  have  us  learn  from  them.  In 
handling  this  subject,  one  must  necessarily  go  over 
much  ground  that  is  familiar  to  many.    To  almost 


2  Four  Portraits. 

all,  it  will  be  known  that  St.  Matthew  represents  the 
Lord  as  the  King;  St.  Mark  as  the  Servant  of  God; 
St.  Luke  as  the  Son  of  Man;  while  St.  John  pre- 
sents Him  as  the  Son  of  God. 

The  four  faces  of  the  Cherubim  seem  to  have  a  di- 
rect reference  to  this  fact,  in  that  they  correspond 
with  these  four  features,  thus :  The  Lion  is  the  sym- 
bol of  St.  Matthew's  Gospel,  that  animal  being  the 
king  of  beasts ;  the  Ox  represents  the  servant  of  St. 
Mark's  Gospel ;  the  Man  that  of  St.  Luke ;  while  the 
Eagle,  for  its  keen  vision  and  swift  flight,  represents 
St.  John's  portrait  of  the  Lord. 

His  Headship  may  next  be  glanced  at  in  its 
four  connections. 

In  St.  Matthew's  Gospel,  it  is  to  be  over  the  Jewish 
race ;  in  St.  Mark's,  over  the  Church,  to  be  composed 
of  those  whom  He  has  touched  and  delivered  by  His 
healing,  saving  power ;  in  St.  Luke's,  it  is  to  be  over 
the  whole  human  race,  for  He  is  the  Son  of  Man 
over  all  men ;  while  St.  John  shews  Him  to  be  "Head 
over  all  things."  He  is  to  hold  the  sceptre  of  univer- 
sal empire. 

Four  prophecies  are  found  in  the  Old  Testament, 
in  each  of  which  the  Lord  is  described  as  The 
Branch.  It  is  interesting  to  note  how  these  four 
have  an  apparent  connection  with  the  features  of  the 
four  Gospels,   now   under   consideration.'    In  Jer, 


Four  Portraits.  3 

xxiii.  5,  we  read,  ''Behold  the  days  come,  saith  the 
Lord,  that  I  will  raise  unto  David  a  righteous 
Branch^  and  He  sJmll  reign  as  King,  and  deal  wise- 
ly, and  shall  execute  judgment  and  justice  in  the 
land."  A  similar  passage  is  found  in  Jer.  xxxiii.  15, 
"In  these  days  and  at  that  time  will  I  cause  a  Branch 
of  Righteousness  to  grow  up  unto  David:  and  He 
shall  execute  Judgment  and  righteousness  in  the 
land."  This  prophecy  had  a  partial  fulfilment  as  re- 
corded by  St.  Matthew,  but  awaits  FUL-filment. 

Then  in  Zech.  iii.  8,  we  find  the  words,  "Behold, 
I  will  bring  forth  My  servant  the  Branch."  This 
fits  over  St.  Mark's  portrait  of  the  patient,  diligent 
Servant  of  God. 

In  Zech.  vi.  12,  again,  "Behold  the  Man  whose 
name  is  the  Branch^  and  He  shall  grow  up  out  of 
His  place."  This  prophecy  is  in  accordance  with 
what  St.  Luke  portrays  in  his  Gospel — the  wonder- 
ful man  amongst  men,  growing  up  from  infancy, 
and  moving  amongst  men. 

Lastly,  in  Isaiah  iv.  2 :  "In  that  day,  shall  the 
Branch  of  Jehovah  he  beautiful  and  glorious,  and 
the  fruit  of  the  land  shall  be  excellent  and  comely  for 
them  that  are  escaped  of  Israel."  The  glorious  Son 
of  God  of  St.  John's  Gospel  shall  return  yet,  and 
reveal  Himself  as  the  Son  of  God  from  heaven,  in 
the  eyes  of  His  ancient  people,  who,  at  His  first 
coming,  rejected  Him  and  refused  to  own  Him. 


4  Four  Portraits. 

In  the  two  portraits  which  present  Him  as  spe- 
cially identified  with  the  human  race,  there  are  two 
genealogies  given.  St.  Matthew,  writing  for  Jews, 
gives  His  descent  from  Abraham  and  David.  These 
are  the  two  most  important  names  to  a  Jewish  mind. 
If  the  eye  shall  catch  sight  of  these  tw^o  names  at  the 
very  beginning  of  the  narrative,  may  not  the  Jewish 
reader  be  induced  to  pursue  his  reading  of  the  story 
of  such  a  descendant?  Then  St.  Luke  gives  the 
genealog)'  back  to  Adam,  shewing  how  the  Saviour 
belongs  to  all  the  race,  and  not  exclusively  to  one 
nation. 

The  Servant  needs  no  genealogy,  for  He  is  known 
by  the  character  and  quality  of  His  work,  and  the 
Gospel  of  St.  ^lark  opens  with  the  voice  from 
heaven,  ''This  is  My  beloved  Son,  in  whom  I  am  well 
pleased."  This  is  God's  commendation  of  the  Serv- 
ant to  all  who  shall  need  Him  to  serve  them,  in  His 
infinite  grace. 

St.  John  seems  to  see  Him  coming  out  from  the 
very  bosom  of  the  Father,  and  introduces  Him  as 
being  ''in  the  beginning  zvith  God,"  and  says  He 
"was  God."  He  comes  from  eternity,  suddenly  ap- 
pearing upon  the  sphere  of  human  existence,  "the 
Word  made  Hesh,"  and  after  the  life  lived  and  the 
ministry  wrought,  as  St.  John  records  it.  He  re- 
turns as  suddenly  back  to  that  place  of  eternal  holi- 


Four  Portraits.  5 

ness  and  light,  the  bosom  of  the  Father.  Nothing 
is  said  of  Bethlehem  or  Nazareth,  or  Jerusalem  or 
of  the  Mount  of  Olives.  He  has  come  as  God — He 
has  gone  as  God.  He  is  the  Son  of  God  equal  with 
the  Father,  the  Word  who  was  from  the  beginning, 
who  is  so  still,  and  who  ever  will  be. 

The  Portrait  as  Drawn  by  St.  Matthew 
is,  as  we  have  said,  specially  for  his  own 
nation.  He  shews  at  the  very  outset  that 
He  is  the  rightful  claimant  to  the  throne  of 
David,  by  proving  the  direct  descent  of 
Jesus  of  Nazareth  from  David.  That  throne  re- 
mains unclaimed  from  that  day  to  the  present,  and 
will  never  be  claimed  by  any  but  Jesus,  because  He 
alone  can  prove  His  lawful  rights  to  succeed.  No 
other  Jew  has  ever  since  been  able  to  produce  his 
genealogy.  There  had  been  no  claimant  for  600 
years  before ;  there  has  been  none  for  1900  years 
since.  Notice  the  four  women  mentioned,  in  that 
first  chapter,  as  identified  with  the  ancestry  of 
Christ:  Thamar — whose  name  is  associated  with 
gross  sin ;  Rahab — a  Gentile,  a  heathen,  and  a  harlot ; 
Ruth — a  Moabitess,  a  heathen,  and  therefore  one 
who  had  no  right  in  the  congregation  of  Israel ;  and 
the  wife  of  Uriah,  an  adulteress.  Sin,  sorrow  and 
shame  are  all  here  interwoven  into  this  story;  be- 
cause the  Son  of  God  came  to  bear  away  our  sin 
and  sorrow,  and  to  be  truly  the  Son  of  man.  ''Verily, 


6  Four  Portraits. 

not  of  angels  doth  He  take  hold;  hut  He  taketh 
hold  of  the  seed  of  Abraham"  (Heb.  ii.  i6).  ''It  is 
evident  that  our  Lord  sprang  out  of  Judah"  (Heb. 
vii.  14).  He  is  the  Root  and  Offspring  of  David; 
He  is  the  Rod  of  the  stem  of  Jesse ;  and  the  Branch 
out  of  his  roots  (Isa.  xi.  i).  He  is  the  Root  out  of 
the  dry  ground  (Isa.  hii.  2).  In  the  Old  Testament, 
this  was  prophecy;  in  the  Gospel  of  Matthew,  it  is 
history.  It  is  never  lost  sight  of  that  Jesus  of  Nazar- 
eth is  the  King  of  the  Jews.  By  many,  it  is  sup- 
posed that  this  title  is  extinct,  but  it  is  not.  Rev. 
V.  5  proves  this,  where  He  is  called  the  Lion  of  the 
tribe  of  Judah.  On  the  throne,  as  seen  by  the 
apostle,  long  after  His  ascension.  His  position  and 
title  are  acknowledged  in  heaven,  and  in  virtue  of 
that  title.  He  steps  forward  to  take  the  book  and  to 
open  the  seals — the  title-deeds  to  His  lawful  pos- 
session of  earth.  For  further  confirmation  of  this 
truth  in  this  Gospel,  the  various  names  by  which  He 
is  called  in  the  earlier  chapters  may  be  collated,  and 
considered  in  this  connection. 

A  King  must  govern,  must  be  able  to  deliver  His 
kingdom  from  its  enemies,  must  make  and  enforce 
laws,  must  demand  and  receive  obedience,  other- 
wise He  cannot  reign  as  King.  How,  then,  shall  He 
be  treated?  Shall  He  be  received  and  acclaimed? 
shall  He  be  enthroned?  shall  He  be  obeyed?  shall 
His  control  be  submitted  to?     These  are  the  ques- 


Four  Portraits.  7 

tions  which  this  Gospel  practically  asks  and  answers, 
revealing  His  undoubted  claims  to  the  place  that 
was  declared  to  be  His,  giving  His  utterances  as 
King,  and  then  describing  how  He  was  treated  by 
His  own  nation,  how  He  came  unto  His  own  but 
His  own  received  Him  not.  The  Gospel,  however, 
closes  with  His  own  words  as  to  His  return,  as 
King,  to  the  very  nation  that  would  not  have  Him, 
and  how  His  coming  would  be  for  their  salvation, 
when  He  should  come  with  all  the  holy  angels.  In 
the  meantime.  He  bade  His  disciples  remember  that 
He  had  all  power  both  in  heaven  and  on  earth.  The 
opening  question  of  the  Gospel  is  in  ii.  2 :  ''Where  is 
He  that  is  born  King  of  the  Jews?"  and  the  closing 
statement  from  His  own  lips,  as  He  ascends,  with 
the  marks  of  the  rejection  by  His  own  nation  in 
His  person,  are,  *'All  power  is  given  unto  Me  in 
heaven  and  on  earth"  (xxviii.  i8). 

Do  we  now  call  Him  our  King?  It  so,  are  we 
careful  to  fird  out  His  commandments,  in  order  that 
we  may  obey  them  ?  It  is  not  enough  to  say,  "Make 
Jesus  KingT  It  must  be  done  literally  by  loyal 
obedience,  so  that  others  may  see  that  we  are  under 
another  monarchy  than  that  of  this  world. 

The  Portrait  as  Drawn  by  St.  Mark 

is  for  the  Romans,  who  were  the  governing  people 
at  that  time.    He  so  weaves  his  narrative  as  to  divest 


8  Four  Portraits. 

it  of  special  Jewish  features,  explaining  terms  that 
might  not  be  usually  understood,  and  presenting  this 
One,  not  as  a  king,  but  as  the  Servant  of  God,  One 
to  serve  men  of  all  classes,  who  are  in  need  and 
trouble.  He  seems  to  say  to  all  his  readers,  "Look 
at  this  One  working  for  you,  living  for  you,  suffer- 
ing for  you,  dying  for  you,  rising  for  you.  Greater 
is  He  than  any  god  you  ever  worshipped  or  heard 
of,  coming  in  close  touch  with  all  the  necessities 
of  the  multitudes,  with  the  utmost  sympathy  and 
tenderness.  He  appears  as  the  true  Priest  amongst 
men,  dealing  with  the  great  question  ot  SIN,  able 
to  understand  sinners,  their  guilt,  their  shame,  their 
weakness.  Engage  Him,  submit  to  Him,  work  with 
Him,  work  for  Him,  confide  in  Him.  God  sends 
Him  to  do  for  you  what  you  cannot  do  for  your- 
self." 

Roman  thought  was  accustomed  to  the  idea  of 
p Giver,  not  service,  as  the  symbol  of  true  greatness. 
God  will  teach  the  true  fact  of  greatness  in  the  life 
of  lowly  service  and  ministry. 

Notice  the  first  miracle  that  St.  Mark  records.  It 
is  the  casting  out  of  an  unclean  spirit  in  a  synagogue. 
This  is  the  great  power  of  Satan,  which  no  one  can 
resist  of  himself.  Jesus  comes  to  save,  to  work  the 
work  of  God  in  deliverances,  and  that  in  most  un- 
likely ways  and  in  most  unlikely  places.  The  chief 
question  will  be.  Is  He  competent?  can  He  do  what 


Four  Portraits.  9 

I  need?  He  will  require  such  patience,  such  for- 
bearance, such  sympathy,  such  strength,  such  knowl- 
edge! Then  hear  His  character  from  God:  ''My  be- 
loved Son,  in  Whom  I  am  well  pleased/'  Long  ago, 
He  was  God's  Master-workman.  ''When  He  estab- 
lished the  heavens  I  was  there then  I  was 

by  Him  as  a  master-workman.    I  was  daily  His  de- 
light, rejoicing  always  before  Him  ....  There- 
fore, hearken  unto  Me,  My  sons"  (Prov.  viii.  27-30). 
The  opening  question  in  the  Gospel  is  that  of  i.  27, 
"What  is  this?    a  nezv  teaching!    With  authority, 
He  commandeth  even  the  unclean  spirits,  and  they 
obey  Him."     It  had  never  been  so  seen  before.    Life- 
less, powerless  synagogue  services,  conducted  with 
due  formality !     But  here  was  a  Teaching  that  ac- 
complished something :  it  disclosed  the  unsuspected 
power  and  presence  of  the  enemy,  and  then  dislodged 
him.    Here  was  service,  here  was  work  that  touched 
need,  and  met  it.    But  how  was  He  spoken  of?    In 
vi.  3  is  another  question,  "Is  not  this  the  carpenter, 
the  son  of  Mary,  and  brother  of  James,  and  loses, 
and  Judas,  and  Simon,  and  are  not  His  sisters  here 
with  usr    That  is  all  that  many  thought  of  Him  and 
said  of  Him,  and  so  refused  to  let  Him  work  the 
works  of  God  for  them  and  in  them.     The  closing 
statement  in  xvi.  17— "The  Lord  also  working  with 
them"— \i2.TmomzQ?>     with     the     opening     thought. 
Though    risen   and   glorified,   yet   He   is    still   the 


lo  Four  Portraits. 

Worker,  the  Servant  of  Jehovah,  to  save,  succour, 
and  help  the  needy.  He  is  the  same  now  as  when 
here  on  earth  yet  how  different.  Though  His  work 
on  earth  is  finished,  for  xvi.  19  tells  us  "He  sat 
down  on  the  right  hand  of  God,"  yet  His  unfinished 
work  of  serving  continues,  through  the  Holy  Spirit 
sent  down  from  heaven,  while  in  heaven  He  ever 
lives  to  make  intercession  for  us. 

The  Portrait  as  Drawn  by  St.  Luke 

is  for  the  Greek-speaking  peoples.  Here  we  see 
Him  as  the  Man,  entering  the  world  as  you  and 
I  did:  growing  up  in  it,  working  for  His  daily 
bread,  shewing  the  intensely  human  side  of  His 
character;  tenderness,  compassion,  readiness  to 
help,  fearlessness,  courage,  sternness  against  sin, 
but  such  tenderness  to  those  who  were  the  victims 
of  sin.  He  was  always  talking  so  much  of  God,  and 
of  the  love  of  God,  that  they  all  wondered  at  the 
gracious  words  that  proceeded  out  of  His  mouth. 
He  is  a  man !  therefore  confide  in  Him,  trust  Him, 
make  Him  your  friend ;  let  Him  eat  and  drink  with 
you ;  take  Him  into  your  house,  into  your  councils, 
into  everything.  He  is  perfectly  human,  as  well  as 
Divine. 

He  is  a  Prophet !    He  bears  a  message  from  God ; 
listen  to  Him.     Such  a  man,  as  a  prophet,  must  be 


Four  Portraits.  1 1 

perfectly  fearless,  very  attractive  and  interesting, 
and  must  be  able  to  come  in  touch  with  every-day, 
work-a-day  life.  He  must  be  able  to  adapt  Himself 
easily  and  equally  to  every  class  of  society,  with  the 
utmost  grace  of  manner,  ease  and  skill.  He  must 
not  be  "condescending"  to  those  who  may  think 
themselves  socially  beneath  Him,  neither  must  He 
be  seeking  the  patronage  of  those  who  may  think 
themselves  above  Him.  He  must  be  quite  in  touch 
with  all  human  surroundings.  Hence,  this  portrait 
will  be  found  to  be  exquisitely  beautiful  from  the 
human  side  of  things. 

The  story  opens  with  certain  family  portraits ;  His 
mother,  her  cousin  Elizabeth  and  her  husband 
Zacharias,  the  aged  Priest  in  the  Temple.  Then  we 
find  old  Simeon  and  the  aged  prophetess  Anna,  and 
His  own  cousin  John  the  Baptist.  On  almost  the 
first  page,  you  have  an  inn,  sheep,  shepherds,  and 
angels,  too.  Heaven  and  earth  mingling  because 
some  one  from  heaven  has  arrived  on  earth  in  a 
most  interesting  and  human  way.  The  Boy — so 
obedient  at  home,  the  Learner,  the  Questioner,  in- 
telligent, earnest!  What  interesting  questions  He 
asked !  what  a  charming  boy  to  talk  with !  It  is 
Jesus. 

A  Prophet  is  He  ?  He  must  know  God  intimately. 
He  must  know  man  intimately.     He  must  put  into 


12  Four  Portraits. 

human  language  the  thoughts  of  God,  as  far  as  they 
can  be  reduced  to  language.  He  must  be  quite  fear- 
less on  three  points : 

First.  In  describing  sin  and  its  consequences. 
We  must  know  the  worst. 

Second.  In  describing  God's  righteous  dealing 
with  sin.    There  must  be  no  uncertainty  here. 

Third.  In  describing  God's  dealing  with  a 
sinner. 

(Here  we  must  distinguish  between  Sin  and  the 
Sinner.  Sin  must  meet  with  holy,  righteous  wrath 
and  indignation.  God  would  de-tach  sin  from  the 
sinner,  in  order  thus  to  deal  with  it.  This  is  the 
offer  of  the  Gospel.  Then  God  would  at-tach  that 
sinner  to  Himself,  and  make  him  an  heir  of  glory, 
lavishing  on  him  all  His  eternal  love  and  grace.  If 
the  sinner  refuses  the  treatment  offered,  God  has 
no  alternative  but  to  deal  with  the  sin  and  sinner 
together). 

The  Gospel  is  full  of  narratives,  not  found  else- 
where, that  illustrate  all  these  points,  and  also  shew 
His  exceeding  kindness,  sympathy,  and  love  for  all 
around.  The  story  opens  with  song,  continues  with 
song,  and  closes  with  song.  By  contrast,  St.  Mat- 
thew opens  with  the  wail  of  the  stricken,  bereaved 
mothers,  and  closes  with  Woe,  woe,  woe!  There 
is  no  song  in  that  Gospel.    How  could  there  be  ?    It 


Four  Portraits.  13 

is  the  story  of  sorrow  and  sin  in  the  rejection  of 
the  King.  St.  Luke  gives  the  story  of  the  Saviour 
and  His  salvation. 

The  opening  question  is  in  ii.  49:  ''Wist  ye  not 
that  I  must  he  about  My  Father's  business^'  and  the 
book  is  full  of  how  He  went  about  doing  it.  Then 
the  closing  words  are  in  xxiv.  51 :  'While  He  blessed 
them."  He  ended  with  His  Father's  business  as  He 
had  begun,  and  He  is  still  occupied  in  the  same  way. 

The  Portrait  as  Drawn  by  St.  John. 

This  Apostle  gathers  up  all  the  features  of  the 
other  three,  namely,  that  Jesus  is  Prophet,  Priest 
and  King,  and  combining  them  all,  gives  the  addi- 
tional features  of  the  Deity  and  Divinity  of  the 
Lord.     It  is  a  Full-length  Portrait. 

Is  He  a  King?  Then  Nathaniel's  utterance  con- 
firms it:  "Thou  art  the  King  of  Israel'  (i.  49),  and 
His  own  utterance  in  xviii.  37,  "To  this  end  was  I 
horn." 

Is  He  a  Servant?  He  walked  to  Samaria  to  serve 
a  poor,  unhappy,  sinful  woman.  He  walked  to  Beth- 
esda  to  look  for  a  helpless  man  and  give  him 
strength.  He  laid  aside  His  garments,  took  a  towel 
and  girded  Himself,  and  washed  the  disciples'  feet. 
It  is  the  lowliest  act  of  service  as  a  man  amongst 


14  Four  Portraits. 

Is  He  a  Man?  He  was  wearied  with  His  journey. 
He  was  thirsty,  and  asked  for  water.  He  needed 
food.  He  loved.  He  groaned.  He  wept.  And  is 
that  man  a  Prophet?  Such  utterances  concerning 
God  and  sin,  as  recorded  by  St.  John,  are  found 
in  no  other  writing. 

But  what  more  does  this  apostle  tell  us?  That 
He  dwelt  in  the  bosom  of  the  Father — (at  Nazareth, 
say  Matthew  and  Luke).  That  He  was  sent  by  the 
Father,  and  came  from  the  bosom  of  the  Father — 
(that  he  was  born  in  a  manger  and  fled  to  Egypt, 
say  the  others).  That  the  Will  of  God  was  behind 
all  He  did  and  said  on  every  occasion — (that  He 
was  full  of  compassion,  and  pity,  and  grace,  say 
the  others).  That  the  World  was  the  range  of  His 
vision — ''God  so  loved  the  world,"  "He  came  into 
the  world,"  "To  hear  the  sin  of  the  world"  "The 
world  could  not  contain  the  hooks  that  should  he 
written" — (Judea,  Samaria,  Galilee,  Perea,  Tyre, 
Sidon,  say  the  others). 

The  opening  question  of  this  Gospel  is  in  i.  38, 
"Master,  where  dwellest  Thou?"  and  near  the  close 
amongst  the  last  words  are  these  in  xv.  4:  "Abide 
in  ME,  and  I  IN  YOU"  It  is  the  new  abiding 
place,  where  any  one  may  meet  Him  who  enquires 
of  Him. 

And  what  are  the  impressions  that  St.  John 
makes?     'This  is  my  Lord  Jesus  Christ.     I  have 


Four  Portraits.  15 

leaned  on  His  bosom.  I  have  seen  Him.  I  wish  all 
my  friends  knew  Him !  I  wish  my  country  knew 
Him !    I  wish  the  World  knew  Him ! 

Not  the  World  for  Christ,  but  Christ  for 
THE  World. 


i, 

W 
o 
1— > 

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C/2 

The   Son  of  God.         1 
The  Eagle.                     1 
Is.    iv.  2. 

Head        Over        All 
Things 

None. 

For  the  World. 

Where        dwellest 
Thou?  i.  38. 

Abide   in   me,    and   I 
in  you.     xv.  4. 

As   from    Eternity. 

The  Individual  Soul. 

From     Personal     Im- 
pressions. 
Demonstrative. 

M 
1-5 

c 

% 

d 

c 

Zech.    vi.  12    

Head       of       Human 
Race    

Traced  to  Adam   . . . 

Wist  ye  not  that  I 
Must  be  about  my 
Father's  Business? 
ii^  49     

While  He  blessed 
them.   xxiv.  51    ... 

By        Family        Sur- 
roundings     

The  Human  Race   . . 

From      Others'      Im- 
pressions      

Biographical    

Oi 

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cr 

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4. 

Head  of  the  Church 
Nnne     

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What  is  This? 
A      New      Teaching  1 
i.  27    

The       Lord       Also 
Working       With 
Them.    xvi.  17    ... 

By    Character    

The  Needy   

From    Another's    Im- 
pressions      

Narrative    

i 

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4. 

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Jer.   xxiii.  5 

Head  of  Jewish  Race 
Traced  to   Abraham. 

Where  is  He  That  is 
Born    King   of  the 
Jews?    ii.  2    

All    Power    is    Given 
Unto     Me.     xxviii. 
18    

House  of  Israel   . . .. 

From     Personal     Im- 
pressions      

1  1 

3.  The    Prophecy    .. 

"Branch." 

4.  His    Headship     . . 

16.  For   Whom    Writ- 
ten     
7.  Opening    Question 
8.  Closing    Statement 
9.  How   Introduced.. 
10.  Sphere      of       His 

u 

V 

u 
4. 

^ 

=. 

Chapter  II. 

ST.  MATTHEW :   THE  KING. 

The  Divisions,  Keywords,  Scope. 

Behold  your  king.— John  xix.  14. 

The  Author. 

THE    writer   of   this    Gospel    was   a   Galilean, 
Matthew  by   name,   having   also   a   Jewish 
name,  Levi.    The  corresponding  Latin  name  would 
be  Theodore,  meaning  Gift  of  God.    He  was  a  busi- 
ness man,  accustomed  to  the  use  of  the  pen,  but  en- 
gaged in  a  business  hated  by  his  countrymen,  that 
of  tax-collector  for  the  Roman  Government,  and 
therefore  estranged  from  his  nation,  and  likely  to 
wield  no  influence,  amongst  them,  for  good.    His  call 
to  follow  the  Lord  is  briefly  recorded  by  himself  in 
chapter  ix.  9.    It  must  be  inferred  that  he  had  had 
some  previous  knowledge  of  the  Lord,  and  that  this 
interview  was  by  no  means  the  first.    One  wonders 
whether  he  might  not  have  been  among  the  tax-gath- 
erers who  attended  John  the  Baptist's  mission  (Luke 
iii.  12) ,  and  there  received  his  first  impressions.     He 
was  evidently  a  man  of  decision,  for  he  acted  imme- 
diately, rose  up,  left  all,  and  followed  Jesus.     So 
thorough  was  the  change  from  the  habits  of  the  old 

17 


1 8  St.  Matthew:    The  King. 

life  to  the  new,  that  he  made  a  great  feast  for  all  his 
old  business  associates,  which  St.  Luke  describes  as 
for  a  great  company  of  tax-gatherers,  sinners,  and 
others.  It  was  a  splendid  start,  a  clean  cut  with  all 
the  past,  and  a  deHnite  act  of  committal  to  the  new 
leader  and  the  new  associations.  If  the  call  was  his 
conversion,  the  feast  was  his  consecration.  The 
other  fact  about  him  is  that  he  became  one  of  the 
Apostles;  x.  3  is  his  own  record,  and  he  mentions 
that  he  had  been  a  tax-gatherer,  not  being  ashamed 
to  refer  to  "the  hole  of  the  pit  from  whence  he  had 
been  digged."  The  only  other  thing  we  know  about 
him  personally  is  that  he  wrote  this  Gospel,  which 
has  been  probably  more  blessed  to  Jewish  readers 
than  any  other  section  of  the  New  Testament.  The 
main  argument  in  his  writing  is  that  all  that  has 
happened  to  Jesus  of  Nazareth  has  been  fulfilment 
of  Scripture,  and,  therefore,  should  appeal  pre-emi- 
nently to  the  nation,  "whose  are  the  oracles  of 
God,"  convincing  them  that  Jesus  is  Messiah. 
Nothing  that  occurred  was  accidental.  ''For  ever, 
O  Lord,  Thy  word  is  setitled  in  heaven"  (Psa.  cxix. 
89).  The  Jews  were  well  versed  in  their  Scriptures 
They  professed  to  base  all  their  hopes  upon  them, 
and  they  claimed  to  understand  them.  Hence,  the 
blindness,  both  of  heart  and  will,  in  rejecting  Him 
who  so  evidently,  before  their  eyes,  was  daily  ac- 
complishing Scripture. 


St.  Matthezv:    The  King.  19 

It  will  well  repay  the  time  and  trouble  expended 
to  study  out  the  interweaving  of  Old  Testament 
Scripture  in  the  fabric  of  this  book.  It  is  the  con- 
necting link  between  the  old  and  new  dispensations. 
and,  therefore,  stands  first  in  the  canon  of  the  New 
Testament.  Similarly,  the  first  epistle,  that  to  the 
Romans,  is  one  which,  setting  forth  clearly  God's 
way  of  saving  a  sinner,  is  found  to  be  composed  of 
a  large  amount  of  Old  Testament  Scripture.  This 
is  an  important  fact  because  the  faith  of  many  in 
these  Scriptures  is  threatened  and  undermined,  and 
it  is  well  to  see  the  value  attached  tO'  them  by  the 
Holy  Spirit.  The  life  of  our  Lord  upon  earth,  His 
death,  resurrection,  and  ascension,  together  with  the 
great  fundamental  doctrines  of  the  gospel,  have  their 
origins  and  roots  in  prediction.  If,  therefore,  the 
prediction  be  believed  to  be  inaccurate  and  unin- 
spired, that  which  is  constructed  from  it  will  be  mis- 
trusted also.  Sweep  away  the  foundiations,  and  the 
whole  fabric  must  disappear. 

Characteristic  Phrases. 

The  following  phrases  are  characteristic  of  St. 
Matthew:  ''That  it  might  be  fiilMed."  ''It  is 
written/'  "It  hath  been  said  to  them  of  old  time." 
"Have  ye  never  read?"  Taking  the  first  of  these, 
it  will  be  found  to  occur  fourteen  times,  and  in  con- 


20  St.  Matthew:    The  King. 

nection  with  the  following  books:  P&alms,  Isaiah. 
Jeremiah,  Hosea,  and  Zechariah.  ''It  is  written/' 
will  be  found  nine  times,  and  ''It  hath  been  said  to 
them  of  old  time,"  six  times.  Putting  the  two 
phrases  together,  being  so  similar  in  thought,  we 
shall  find  that  the  following  books  are  referred  to: 
Exodus,  Leviticus,  Deuteronomy,  Psalms,  Isaiah, 
Micah,  Zechariah,  Malachi.  One  of  these  references 
is  that  made  by  the  devil  in  the  ''Temptation,"  to  the 
91st  Psalm.  "Have  ye  never  read?"  is  used  by  the 
Lord  Himself  six  times  in  his  controversies  with 
the  Pharisees,  who  claimed  to  be  the  custodians  and 
expositors  of  Scripture.  It  was,  therefore,  his  way 
of  rebuking  their  ignorance  of  what  they  professed 
to  be  so  well  versed  in.  He  referred  them  to  Gene- 
sis, Exodus,  Numbers,  Samuel,  Psalms,  and  Isaiah. 
In  addition  to  the  foregoing,  there  will  be  found 
six  distinct  quotations  from  Exodus,  Job,  Psalms, 
Isaiah,  and  Hosea,  and  between  forty  and  fifty 
allusions  to  the  foregoing  books,  and  also  to  Kings, 
Chronicles,  Ezekiel,  Daniel,  and  Jonah.  In  all,  it 
will  be  found  that  nineteen  books  of  the  Old  Testa- 
ment are  required  for  the  structure  of  St.  Matthew's 
Gospel  —  the  Pentateuch,  three  historical,  two 
poetical,  and  nine  prophetical — and  that  the  Holy 
Spirit  has  put  His  hand  upon  Scripture  from  Genesis 
to  Malachi,  to  obtain  the  necessary  material  for  this 
writing.     This  fact  should  strengthen  faith  and  re- 


St.  Matthew:    The  King.  21 

new  confidence  in  the  verity  and  accuracy  of  the  Old 
Testament  Scriptures. 

Fifteen  characters  are  referred  to  in  this  book, 
namely :  Abel,  Noah,  Abraham,  Isaac,  Jacob,  Moses, 
David,  Solomon,  Queen  of  Sheba,  Elijah,  Isaiah, 
Jeremiah,  Daniel,  Jonah,  and  Zacharias.  This,  of 
course,  does  not  include  the  names  in  the  genealogy 
in  the  first  chapter. 

The  Divisions. 

For  the  purpose  of  study,  the  book  may  be  divided 
as  follows: 

(a)  Introduction :  Genealogy,  Birth,  Forerun- 

ner (i-iii.  12). 

(b)  Ministry  in  Galilee,  prefaced  by  the  Bap- 

tism  (iii.   13-xvi.  20). 

(c)  Crucifixion  prepared  for  and  accomplished, 

prefaced  by  Transfiguration    (xvi.  21- 
xxviii). 
Another  suggested  definition  is: 

(a)  Preparation  (i-iv.  16). 

(b)  Proclamation  (iv.  17-xvi.  20). 

(c)  Propitiation  (xvi.  21-xxviii). 

The  six  great  facts  are  Birth,  Baptism,  Trans- 
figuration, Crucifixion,  Resurrection,  Ascension. 
These  are  the  "crises  of  the  Christ/' 


22  St.  Matthew:    The  King. 

The  Topic. 

The  great  topic  of  the  book  is  the  Arrival  amongst, 
Proclamation  to,  Rejection  of  the  King,  by  the  nation 
to  whom  He  came,  and  to  whom  He  belonged.  Bear 
in  mind  how  strictly  Jewish  are  the  surroundings 
of  this  narrative,  and,  therefore,  how  Jewish  will 
be  the  style  of  the  Lord's  discourses,  five  of  which 
are  given.  The  application  of  much  of  what  the 
Lord  said  to  our  present  time  and  state  is  another 
line  of  study  equally  full  of  profit.  We  must  further 
remember  that  though  He  was  rejected,  yet  in  no 
way  have  His  claims  abated,  or  the  purposes  of  God 
been  frustrated.  He  must  return,  if  only  to  take  the 
throne  of  David  and  fulfil  the  Scriptures,  and  the 
nation  to  whom  He  belongs  must  receive  and  ac- 
claim Him  here  on  earth,  as  foretold.  There  is  a 
spiritual  kingdom ;  there  is  also  a  visible  and  actual 
kingdom.  The  same  principles  of  righteousness  will 
be  found  in  both,  but  the  one  does  not  do  away  with 
the  other.  ''Nozv  we  see  not  yet  all  things  put  under 
Him,"  but  we  believers  see  Him  spiritually  as  our 
Lord  and  King. 

The  topic,  then,  being  the  King,  we  shall  find  the 
word  "king"  applied  to  the  Lord  Jesus  fourteen 
times.  Then  the  word  ''kingdom"  will  be  found 
seventeen  times;  the  phrase,  "kingdom  of  heaven" 
thirty-two  times,  and  the  phrase,  "kingdom  of  God," 


St.  Matthew:    The  King.  23 

five  times.  In  all,  these  words  are  found  sixty- 
eight  times  in  the  twenty-eight  chapters.  The  word 
of  a  king  is  authoritative.  "I  say  unto  you,"  is  His 
oft-repeated  phrase,  and  occurs  fifty-four  times  in 
the  narrative.  These  should  be  looked  out  and 
underlined.  How  grating  must  this  phrase  have 
sounded  in  the  ears  of  His  enemies,  who  disputed 
His  rights  and  claims  to  the  Messiahship,  as  He  put 
His  own  utterances  alongside  those  of  the  Holy 
Spirit  in  olden  time,  and  claimed  for  them  the  same 
authority  and  position  as  for  the  words  of  God  from 
Mount  Sinai.  This  would  be  nothing  less  than 
blasphemy  from  any  human  lips,  and  it  is  not  sur- 
prising that  He  was  accused  of  such  blasphemy. 

Chapter  Headings,  Shewing  the  Scope. 

In  order  to  see  clearly  the  scope  of  the  book, 
and  to  be  able  to  retain  in  the  memory  the  main 
outline,  it  is  found  of  the  greatest  service  to  select  a 
title  for  each  chapter,  commit  it  to  memory,  and 
also  have  it  written  in  over  each  chapter.  In  this 
way,  the  contents  of  the  chapter  can  be  associated 
with  the  title  given,  and  the  mind  is  helped  in  further 
meditation.  We  shall  select  a  title  for  each  chapter, 
illustrating  the  fact  that  it  is  the  portrait  of  the  Kini^ 
we  are  considering. 

Chap.  i.     Pedigree  of  the  King.     This  gives 


24  St.  Matthezu:    The  King. 

the  line  of  succession  from  David  and  Abraham,  and 
proves  His  lineage. 

Chap.  ii.  Homage  to  the  King.  The  wise  men 
have  arrived,  guided  by  Scripture  and  by  the  star. 
The  gifts  are  royal — gold,  frankincense,  and  myrrh. 
Though  finding  Him'  in  a  stable,  they  are  in  no 
way  disconcerted,  but  worship  the  infant  Jesus  by 
faith.  The  gift  of  gold  was  opportune,  inasmuch  as 
God  had  foreseen  the  speedy,  rapid  flight  into  Egypt, 
where  Joseph  would  be  unable  to  maintain  his  fam- 
ily as  at  Nazareth,  and  thus  are  all  expenses  met! 

Chap.  iii.  Heralding  the  King.  The  Forerun- 
ner appears  and  commences  his  six  months'  ministry 
of  preparation,  preaching,  ''Repent,  for  the  kingdom 
of  heaven  is  at  hand,"  and  fulfilling  Old  Testament 
predictions. 

Chap.  iv.  The  King  in  Conflict.  He  has  in- 
vaded the  dominion  of  His  great  foe,  in  order  to  re- 
cover possession  of  it  lawfully.  At  the  very  thresh- 
old, therefore.  He  will  meet  His  foe  alone  in  single 
combat,  who  will  commence  to  try  issues  with  Him. 

The  "Temptation"  shall  be  met  by  Him-  in  the 
strength  alone  by  which  every  disciple  afterwards 
shall  meet  temptation.  His  only  weapon  shall  be 
the  Scriptures  that  are  in  the  hands  of  His  people. 
Filled  with  the  Spirit,  led  by  the  Spirit,  and  with  the 
Sword  of  the  Spirit,  He  fights  and  conquers.    Un- 


St.  Matthew:    The  King.  25 

weakened  by  the  conflict,  He  proceeds  to  the  call  of 
some  of  His  disciples,  and  to  the  opening  of  His 
ministry  among  the  people. 

Chaps,  v.,  vi.,  vii.    The  Principles  of  the  King- 
dom.   These  three  chapters  contain  what  is  popular- 
ly known  as  The  Sermon  on  the  Mount.     Careful 
reading  will  disclose  that  the  words  were  addressed 
to  the  disciples,  as  the  inner  circle  of  His  followers, 
and  not  to  the  crowd  that  was  allowed  to  gather  and 
listen,  and  that  they  were  meant  for  their  special 
instruction  and  guidance.    As  He  taught  them,  the 
crowds  gathered  up  and  listened  to  all  He  said.    But 
He  did  not  alter  the  subject  of  His  discourse  in  order 
to  adapt  it  to  the  crowd.    The  utterances  remain  as 
the  private  instructions  given  to  the  disciples  con- 
cerning the  principles  and  laws  that  would  be  put 
into  force  when  the  kingdom  should  be  established, 
of  which  He  was  the  predicted  Head.     Could  the 
disciples  then  and  there  carry  out  those  principles? 
Certainly  not ;  their  conduct  afterwards  shewed  how 
they  could  not  and  did  not.    The  King  was  not  en- 
throned, the  Kingdom  was  not  actually  set  up.    He 
was  being  rejected  all  the  time  by  the  nation ;  there- 
fore, what  He  had  come  to  enact  and  establis-h  can- 
not be  put  into  force  until  the  nation  shall  accept 
Him  as  King.    In  the  meantime,  the  Church  of  God 
is  to  study  these  wonderful  words,  and  learn  from 
them  the  principles  of  obedience  to  His  rule,  of 


26  St.  Matthew:    The  King. 

righteousness  on  earth,  and  of  the  regulation  of  con- 
duct both  toward  God  and  man. 

Chaps,  viii.  and  ix.  Samples  of  the  Power  of 
THE  King.  Here  are  grouped  ten  samples  of  what 
the  King  can  do  over  the  six  great  foes  of  mankind 
— Sickness,  Sin,  Satanic  power.  Death,  Sorrow  and 
Storms.  Just  as  the  three  previous  chapters  collect 
the  great  utterances,  so  these  two  chapters  collect 
these  specimens  of  His  power.  The  writer  wants 
to  impress  on  his  Jewish  readers  that  there  has  been 
every  possible  proof,  both  in  His  words  and  works, 
that  this  Nazarene  was  none  other  than  the  pre- 
dicted Messiah  of  their  nation. 

Chap.  X.  Limited  Proclamation  of  the  King. 
The  twelve  are  sent  out  with  special  instructions  not 
to  go  to  any  but  to  the  lost  sheep  of  the  house  of 
Israel.  The  proclamation  is  limited  to  them,  inas- 
much as  this  visit  is  preparatory  to  His  own  visit 
amongst  them,  to  announce  Himself  as  their  Mes- 
siah. Through  the  nation  would  God  make  known 
to  the  world  the  great  plan  of  salvation,  therefore  to 
the  nation  first  the  King  comes,  with  His  offers  of 
righteous  rule  and  delivering  power. 

Chap.  xi.  The  King's  Forerunner  in  Prison. 
If  the  herald  is  in  prison,  then  the  outlook  is  dark 
for  the  King  Himself.  This  was  the  fact  evidently 
perceived  by  John  the  Baptist,  hence  the  sending 


St.  Matthezv:    The  King.  27 

the  twO'  disciples  making  enquiry,  ''Art  thou  He  that 
should  come?"  Possibly  he  had  not  just  then  fully 
grasped  that  he  must  run  on  ahead  of  his  Master, 
even  unto,  and  into,  death.  He  had  proclaimed  Him 
as  the  Lamb  of  God,  and  he  knew  that  He  would 
be  the  sin  bearer ;  he  had  also  proclaimed  Him  as  the 
one  Who  would  baptize  in  the  Holy  Spirit  and  fire. 
But  it  appears  that  he  had  hardly  grasped  the  appli- 
cation to  himself  personally  as  the  forerunner  pre- 
paring the  way — all  the  way ;  hence,  those  wonder- 
ful words  sent  him  by  the  Lord,  ''Blessed  is  he  who- 
soever shall  not  he  offended  in  Me,"  meaning,  Happy 
is  the  man  who  is  not  scandalized  by  the  way  I  may 
see  fit  to  treat  him,  but  who  trusts  Me  on  through 
all  dark  circumstances,  knowing  I  am  the  Son  of 
God,  and  that  all  is  right  and  well.  What  comfort 
to  come  to  the  heart  of  the  distracted,  suffering, 
faithful  forerunner! 

Chap.  xii.  The  King  Officially  Rejected. 
This  is  an  important  chapter,  as  marking  a  crisis  in 
the  history  of  the  Lord.  In  verses  14  and  15,  the 
first  official  council  was  held  that  determined  upon 
His  death.  Up  to  that  point,  He  had  been  preaching 
the  "Kingdom  of  heaven  is  at  hand"  but  now  this 
must  cease.  Action  is  commenced  against  Him 
which  will  culminate  in  the  national  rejection  and 
the  cross,  and  He  immediately  changes  His  methods 
of  teaching  and  work.     He  has  been  compared  to 


28  St,  Matthew:    The  King. 

Beelzebub,  and  dark  satanic  power  is  attributed  to 
Him.  Most  wisely  and  graciously,  He  meets  the  op- 
position and  anger,  proving  the  impossibility  of  the 
statements  made  about  Him,  warning  His  foes  and 
at  the  same  time  teaching  His  friends.  But  He  must 
change  His  method  in  consequence,  and  therefore 
He  withdraws,  and  recommences  His  teaching  in 
parabolic  form. 

Chap.  xiii.  The  Kingdom  in  Mystery.  Here 
begin  the  series  of  parables  which  describe  the  new 
phase  of  the  kingdom  of  heaven  consequent  on  the 
forthcoming  national  rejection  of  the  King,  and 
which  give  the  outline  of  the  future  events  in  the 
spiritual  realm,  between  the  facts  of  the  King  re- 
jected, and  the  King  accepted,  at  the  Second  Advent. 
(These  will  form  a  separate  study.) 

Chap.  xiv.  The  Compassion  of  the  King.  The 
feeding  of  the  5,000  is  the  central  event  in  this 
chapter. 

Chap.  XV.  The  King  Recognized  by  a  Gentile. 
After  the  conflict  with  the  Pharisees,  which  has 
shewn  up  their  ignorance  of  the  meaning  of  Script- 
ure, the  Lord  is  cheered  by  the  Gentile  suppliant  who 
saw  further  with  the  eye  of  faith  than  did  these 
teachers  of  the  law. 

Chap.  xvi.  The  King  denied  by  many,  owned 
BY  a  few.    Here,  for  the  first  time,  occurs  the  new 


St.  Matthew:    The  King.  29 

word  CHURCH^  which  was  to  mean  so  much  after- 
wards. The  kingdom  rejected,  to  be  followed  by  a 
new  association  of  believers,  not  forming  a  king- 
dom so  much  as  being  introduced  intO'  a  hitherto  un- 
revealed  relationship  to  the  Lord,  higher  and  more 
glorious  than  that  of  being  merely  in  the  kingdom. 
The  full  facts  of  the  Church  were  not  revealed  till 
later  to  the  Apostle  Paul,  after  the  last  ofifer  had 
been  made,  through  the  Apostles,  to  the  Jewish  na- 
tion, of  the  kingdom,  through  the  descent  of  the 
Holy  Spirit,  and  rejected. 

Chap.  xvii.  The  King  in  royal  attire.  That 
sign  which  had  been  demanded  in  unbelief  by 
Pharisees,  to  prove  that  Jesus  was  Messiah,  was 
granted  to  the  three  disciples  in  the  Mount  of  Trans- 
figuration. Note  the  reference  to  it  of  one  spectator, 
in  2  Peter  i. 

Chap,  xviii.  The  King  and  the  little  ones. 
Very  unlike  their  ideas  of  the  way  to  enter  the  king- 
dom was  the  teaching  given  to  the  disciples,  followed 
by  the  discourse  on  forgiveness  and  the  parable  of 
the  unforgiving  servant. 

Chap,  xix.  Rewards  for  following  the  King. 
So  utterly  had  all  the  hopes,  in  the  hearts  of  the 
disciples,  faded,  with  regard  to  the  establishment  of 
the  visible  kingdom  predicted  by  David  and  Isaiah, 
that  the  Lord  points  out  to  them  that  there  are  higher 


so  St.  Matthew:    The  King. 

and  greater  things  to  be  obtained,  as  the  reward  of 
faith,  than  even  earthly  promotion  and  position.  The 
young  ruler  was  an  illustration  of  the  power  of 
things  temporal  and  visible  over  things  unseen  and 
spiritual. 

Chap.  XX.  Condition  of  greatness  in  the 
King's  service.  The  difficult  parable  of  the  penny- 
a-day  labourers  is  followed  by  the  request,  by  the 
mother  of  James  and  John,  for  best  seats  in  the 
kingdom.  They  have  all  failed  to  grasp  the  signifi- 
cance of  events  transpiring  around  them,  and  no 
wonder,  seeing  the  whole  of  their  outlook  was  being 
slowly  destroyed,  and  the  Master  was  more  often 
talking  of  His  approaching  death  than  of  any  out- 
ward triumph. 

Chap.  xxi.  The  King's  brief  hour  of  triumph. 
A  sudden  transient  gleam  of  hope  shot  out  of  the 
increasing  darkness  in  the  fulfilment  of  the  prophecy, 
''Behold,  thy  King  conieth  unto  thee!"  Now  surely 
the  tide  of  popular  and  official  feeling  will  turn !  But 
Jesus  knew  otherwise,  and  hence  the  significance  of 
the  parable  of  the  unfaithful  husbandmen,  which 
He  gave,  the  next  day,  in  the  temple  courts,  warning 
the  disciples  of  what  they  might  expect  to  happen. 

Chap.  xxii.  The  King  cross-questioned.  Al- 
ways a  dangerous  process  for  the  questioners.  He 
was  the  wisdom  of  God,  and  can  bring  to  nought 


St.  Matthew:    The  King.  31 

the  wisdom  of  the  world.  Again  the  controversy 
focussed  round  the  Messiahship  of  Jesus  in  the 
closing  question,  asked  this  time  by  the  Lord 
Himself.  And  no  one  was  able  to  answer  Him  a 
word,  neither  durst  any  man,  from  that  day  forth, 
ask  Him  any  more  questions.  The  whole  position 
was  insoluble  to  the  multitudes  and  to  the  leaders 
of  the  nation.  The  mystery  of  the  atonement  was 
about  to  loom  up  in  the  foreground,  which  will  be 
impenetrable  darkness  to  the  majority,  and,  indeed, 
to  almost  every  one,  until  after  the  day  of  Pentecost. 

Chap,  xxiii.  The  King's  denunciations.  He 
began  with  blessed,  He  ends  with  woe.  Why?  It 
is  the  inevitable  consequence  of  the  refusal  of  the 
offered  kingdom.  Nothing  but  woe  can  result.  And 
how  awfully  true  has  been  this  fact  in  the  history 
of  the  nation  all  down  the  centuries.  They  have 
never  reversed  the  verdict  then  given;  hence  the 
perpetual  falling  of  these  solemn  woes.  The  King 
has  power  to  bless,  and,  equally,  power  to  judge. 
He  must  be  known  in  one  of  the  two  ways.  Each 
one  can  choose  which  way. 

Chap.  xxiv.  The  King  a  Prophet.  Privately, 
He  announces  to  disciples  the  new  hope  and  future 
purpose  in  the  Second  Advent.  But  at  the  same 
time.  He  faithfully  sketches  the  history  of  the  nation 
from  the  very  day  He  was  speaking,  down  to  the 


32  St.  Matthew:    The  King. 

great  climax  for  which  we  are  still  waiting  in  holy 
expectation. 

Chap.  XXV.  The  King  as  Bridegroom,  Admin- 
istrator AND  Judge.  These  three  great  utterances 
conclude  the  record  of  the  teaching  of  the  Lord,  and 
the  final  word  is,  "When  the  Son  of  Man  shall  come 
in  His  glory  and  all  the  holy  angels  with  Him."  At 
the  commencement  of  the  Gospel,  it  will  be  found 
that  Satan  suggested  this  very  event  in  the  Tempta- 
tion, trying  to  forestall  the  fulfilment  of  the 
prophecy,  and  so  prevent  the  great  triumph  over 
himself  and  the  powers  of  darkness.  But  what  he 
then  suggested  and  quoted  Scripture  in  support  of, 
will  yet  take  place,  but  before  a  vaster  audience,  and 
for  far  greater  purposes. 

Chap.   xxvi.     The   King   anointed,   betrayed, 

FORSAKEN. 

Chap,  xxvii.    The  King  tried  and  condemned. 

Chap,  xxviii.    The  King  risen  and  ascended. 

The  book  begins  with  the  arrival  of  the  King  in 
Bethlehem,  according  to  prophecy,  and  concludes 
with  the  removal  of  the  King  from  the  land  to  which 
He  came,  according  to  prophecy,  to  await  the  pur- 
pose of  God  in  His  return,  according  to  prophecy. 
In  the  meantime,  we  who  know  Him,  trust  Him,  and 
confess  Him,  are  to  watch  and  wait  for  Him,  being 
diligent,  that  we  may  be  found  blameless  at  His  ap- 


St.  Matthezv:    The  King.  33 

pearing,  and  ever  remembering  how  His  heart 
yearns  for  the  nation  for  which  He  has  died,  and  to 
which  He  is  to  come  as  the  Lion  of  the  Tribe  of 
Judah,  the  Messiah,  and  the  glorious  branch. 


Chapter  III. 
ST.  MATTHEW:   THE  KING. 

The  King's  Five  Proclamations. 

THE  Gospel  is  built  round  the  five  great  pro- 
clamations   that    the    writer    has    recorded. 
They  are  as  follows : 

I.  Chaps.  V.  vi.  vii.  The  New  Law.  The 
King  a  Lawgiver. 

Chap.  X.  The  New  Mission.  The  King  a 
Saviour. 

Chap.  xiii.  The  New  Kingdom.  The  King 
Veiled. 

Chaps,  xvi.  and  xviii.  The  New  Associa- 
tion.   The  King  Present,  Though  Veiled. 

Chap,  xxiii.-xxv.  The  New  Hope.  The 
King  a  Judge. 

I.     The  New  Law.    Chapters  v.  vi.  vii. 

Putting  ourselves  back  into  the  trend  of  the  times 
when  these  words  were  spoken,  let  us  imagine  our- 
selves of  the  nation  of  Israel,  full  of  expectation  and 
anxiety,  resulting  from  the  fiery  and  stirring  preach- 
h)g  of  John  the  Baptist,  who  had  been  declaring, 
''Prepare  the  way  of  the  Lord,  make  straight  in  the 
35 


36    St.  Matthezv:    The  King's  Proclamations. 

desert  a  highway  for  our  God."  "All  were  in  ex- 
pectation," St.  Luke  says,  and  "pondering  what  these 
portentous  announcements  might  mean."  To  the 
few  more  enlightened,  they  would  undoubtedly  con- 
vey the  impression  that  the  long-expected  Messiah 
would  shortly  appear,  and  begin  to  work  out  the  de- 
liverance of  the  nation  from  the  Gentile  yoke,  and 
restore  the  kingdom  as  described  by  the  Prophets 
and  Psalmists.  When,  therefore,  John  the  Baptist 
could  announce,  "He  has  come/'  all  eyes  were 
turned  in  the  direction  of  the  man  of  Nazareth,  whom 
he  pointed  out  as  the  Lamb  of  God,  the  One  expected 
and  predicted.  What  manner  of  man  would  He  be  ? 
Naturally,  all  would  expect  a  great  and  glorious 
One,  with  displays  of  supernatural  power,  that 
would  soon  put  to  flight  the  Roman  legions,  and  free 
the  country  from  the  foreign  domination.  Instead 
of  this,  they  saw  one  who,  without  any  external  dis- 
play whatever,  began  a  series  of  country  visitations, 
preaching  in  a  very  unexpected  manner,  and  con- 
tenting Himself  with  sundry  works  of  mercy  and 
kindness  to  the  poor,  diseased,  affiicted,  and  outcast. 
He  severely  left  alone  all  political  and  national  ques- 
tions, and  never  shewed  Himself  amongst  the  ruling 
classes.  How  could  such  an  One  be  the  Messiah? 
Where  were  the  signs  ?  Where  were  the  appeals  to 
the  nation  to  rise  and  follow  Him  ?  The  whole  thing 
was  utterly  opposed  to  all  Jewish  conceptions,  and 


St.  Matthew:    The  King's  Proclamations.     37 

apparently  to  all  the  prophecies  concerning  the  Mes- 
siah. It  was  perplexing,  disappointing.  Yet  there 
was  the  inner  circle  of  disciples  drawn  chiefly  from 
the  working  classes,  who  were  strangely  attracted 
to  Him,  who  believed  Him,  and  who  were  sure  that 
it  would  work  out  all  right,  and  that  He  would  prove 
to  be  all  that  their  prophets  had  foretold.  With  these 
conflicting  ideas  and  emotions,  let  us  take  our  places 
in  the  inner  circle,  and  listen  to  the  Messiah  as  He 
begins  to  instruct  them  in  the  aflfairs  of  His  king- 
dom. He  had  been  preaching,  ''Repent,  for  the 
kmgdom  of  heaven  is  at  hand !"  He  evidently  means 
to  do  something.  What  will  He  say  and  do?  He 
opened  His  mouth,  and  taught  them,  saying,  "Bless- 
ed are  the  poor  in  spirit,  for  theirs  is  the  kingdom  of 
heaven."  This  was  a  little  reassuring,  for  He  was 
going  to  talk  about  the  kingdom.  Then  there  fol- 
lowed the  remainder  of  the  beatitudes,  which  con- 
tained some  altogether  unexpected  words,  such  as 
persecute,  speak  falsely,  mourn.  This  is  not  what 
they  had  expected,  and  is  quite  contrary  to  a  suc- 
cessful campaign.  So  He  began,  and  so  He  went  on, 
saying  nothing  about  the  earthly  kingdom  and  the 
throne,  and  the  driving  out  of  the  Roman  power. 

Before  the  kingdom  can  be  established,  it  will  be 
necessary  to  promulgate  the  laws  that  will  be  en- 
forced, and  that  will  form  the  basis  of  the  govern- 
ment; in  fact,  He  must  put  forth  the  policy  of  the 


38    St.  Matthew:    The  King's  Proclamations. 

new  regime,  and  it  turns  out  that  He  will  make  no 
appeal  whatever  to  the  popular  imagination,  or  feel- 
ing, or  sentiment,  but,  on  the  contrary,  will  be  some- 
what repellant  rather  than  attractive.  "My  thoughts 
are  not  your  thoughts,  neither  are  your  ways  my 
ways,  saith  the  Lord."  That  was  the  secret  that 
underlay  this  strange  policy. 

The  keyword  of  this  policy  is  righteousness. 
The  new  words  that  are  introduced,  and  that  strike 
attention,  are  "Blessed,"  "Father."  They  are  more 
family  words  than  kingdom  words,  and  they  must 
have  sounded  most  strange.  What  will  be  the  sphere 
of  this  new  law?  The  Jewish  nation?  No,  that  is 
too  limited  !  The  Christian  Church  ?  No,  that  also 
is  too  limited.  It  is  the  law  of  the  kingdom  of 
heaven,  that  is,  of  all  that  professes  to  be  under  the 
rule  of  the  King.  The  Jewish  nation  was  only  a 
fragment  of  a  nation.  The  Church  is  a  collection 
of  individuals  out  of  all  nations.  The  kingdom  is  to 
include  all  nations :  so  then  the  law  will  go  on  after 
the  Church  has  gone  into  her  heavenly  sphere,  and 
will  be  the  rule  of  the  nations  and  of  all  who  profess 
to  be  under  this  King.  It  is,  however,  first  offered 
to  this  nation  of  the  Jews,  and  to  a  section  of  them 
the  Lord  is,  for  the  first  time,  explaining  what  will  be 
the  manner  of  the  King  and  kingdom^  they  are  ex- 
pecting.   Will  they  like  it?    Will  they  accept  it? 


St.  Matthew:    The  King's  Proclamations.     39 

On  examination,  it  will  be  found  that  this  revela- 
tion from  the  Lord  is  a  combination  of  grace  and 
law.  One  of  the  weakest  features  in  much  so-called 
Gospel  preaching  today,  is  the  elimination  of  law 
from  the  testimony,  as  though  God  had  never  given 
any  revelation  of  what  He  required  of  His  creatures ; 
and,  secondly,  the  elimination  of  law  from  the  m- 
structions  given  to  those  who  accept  the  Gospel  of 
His  grace  and  receive  the  great  salvation.  The 
truth  is,  that  if  you  accept  the  grace  of  the  King, 
you  must  perforce  take  service,  and  be  under  the 
will  and  laws  of  the  King.  The  teaching  of  Christ 
as  King  does  not  nullify  one  word  of  the  previous 
declarations  of  God  made  to  the  fathers  ;  it  intensifies 
and  expands  them  all.  He  said,  "Think  not  I  am 
come  to  destroy  the  law  or  prophets ;  I  am  not  come 
to  destroy,  but  to  fulfil"  (v.  17.)  This  is*  the  key- 
note to  the  understanding  of  this  proclamation  of 
His  policy. 

The  Divisions. 

1.  Chap.  V.  3-16.     Introductory. 

2.  Chap.     V.     17-vii.     12.     "The     Law     and 

Prophets." 

3.  Chap.  vii.  1-27.    Conclusion.    Be  decided- 

no  compromise. 
The  introduction  dispelled  at  once  any  ideas  of 
preparation  for  a  conflict.    It  was  the  out-breathing 


40    St.  Matthew:    The  King's  Proclamations. 

of  gentleness,  love,  and  blessing,  and  gave  the 
disciples  their  first  impressions  as  to  what  kind  of 
persons  they  were  to  be :  salt  and  light,  preservative 
and  illuminating.  The  second  division  will  fall  into 
four  sub-divisions,  as  follows : 

(a)  Chap.  v.  17-48.  Laws  concerning  the  relation- 
ship of  man  to  man,  touching  murder,  adultery,  per- 
jury, theft,  retribution. 

(b)  Chap.  vi.  1-16.  Laws  referring  to  man's 
relationship  to  God  in  things  spiritual,  such  as 
prayer,  almsgiving,  fasting. 

(c)  Chap.  vi.  17-34.  Laws  referring  to  man's 
relationship  to  God  in  things  temporal,  such  as  food, 
clothing,  money. 

(d)  Chap.  vii.  1-12.  Laws  concerning  man's  right 
attitude  towards  God  and  man. 

The  whole  section  commences  and  terminates  with 
an  allusion  to  the  law  and  prophets.  "Think  not  I 
am  come  to  destroy  the  law  and  prophets,"  and 
"This  is  the  law  and  prophets."  The  eyes  of  the 
nation  were  upon  the  fulfilment  of  the  great  utter- 
ances of  the  prophets  respecting  the  restoration  of 
the  kingdom  to  its  original  splendour  under  David's 
greater  Son.  If  Messiah  has  truly  come,  He  will 
begin  to  carry  out  the  plans  for  such  fulfilment. 
Messiah  had  come,  but  His  eyes  were  upon  the  ful- 
filment of  the  Law  first,  without  which  nothing  what- 


St.  Matthew:    The  King's  Proclamations.     41 

ever  in  the  prophets  could  be  accomplished;  for  the 
kingdom  must  be  established  in  righteousness,  and 
there  lay  whole  centuries  of  unrighteousness  behind, 
for  which  the  law  had  righteous  claims  which  must 
be  met.  These  claims,  the  leaders  were  determined 
to  ignore,  if,  indeed,  they  were  aware  of  their  ex- 
istence. So,  then,  the  eyes  of  the  nation  and  of 
Messiah  were  looking  two  different  ways.  What 
was  meant  by  ''fulfilment  of  the  law?"  Not  merely 
living  a  righteous  life,  and  being  sinless,  and,  there- 
fore, law-abiding,  but  having  thus  lived,  offering 
Himself  as  the  Atonement  for  sin,  to  become  the  Sin- 
bearer,  and  Sin-sacrifice  on  behalf  of  the  guilty  na- 
tion, and  to  fulfil  the  claims  of  the  law  against  the 
law-breakers.  Did  not  the  long  line  of  animal  sacri- 
fices suggest  this?  Had  not  John  the  Baptist  an- 
nounced this?  All  God's  dealings  with  the  na- 
tion had  been  based  on  the  recognition  of  His  holi- 
ness and  their  obedience  to  His  laws;  how,  then, 
can  the  Messiah  act  otherwise  but  first  see  to  the 
fulfilling  of  the  law?  His  pronouncements  in  this 
fifth  chapter  prove  how  deeply  He  looked  into 
things,  and  how  He  came  not  to  deal  with  the 
results  of  sin  as  the  Sinaitic  law  did,  but  with  the 
roots  of  sin  in  the  human  heart.  His  work  was  to  pre- 
vent sin  beginning,  not  to  prevent*  sin  fruiting.  For 
this,  something  must  be  accomplished  before  the 
kingdom,  on   such  principles,   can  be  established; 


42    St.  Matthew:    The  King's  Proclamations. 

hence,  His  words,  "I  am  come  to  fulfil  the  law." 
The  old  covenant  had  failed,  and  the  promise  was  of 
the  new  covenant,  in  which  God  had  said,  'T  will  put 
My  law  in  their  hearts."  When  this  should  be  ac- 
complished, the  regulations  of  the  Sermon  on  the 
Mount  could  be  carried  out,  but  not  before.  He 
cannot  unveil  fully  all  the  process  then,  but  can  only 
announce  the  principles  of  righteousness.  Sin  must 
be  dealt  with,  guilt  put  away,  and  the  new  relation- 
ship entered  into,  hinted  at  by  the  introduction  of 
the  word  "Father."  Only,  then,  by  the  new  birth 
would  this  be  possible.  The  Jews  expected  a  king 
to  commence  his  reign  in  one  way ;  Jesus  announces 
that  He  must  commence  in  another  way,  and  because 
He  would  not  yield  to  the  nation,  nor  the  nation  to 
Him,  they  rejected  Him,  and  condemned  Him  to 
death.  Their  action  shewed  the  awful  gulf  between 
Himself  and  them ;  but  God,  through  this  very  re- 
jection, accomplished  the  purpose  of  Atonement,  and 
Jesus  on  the  cross  put  away  the  sin  of  the  nation  in 
their  treatment  of  Him,  and  made  forgiveness  and 
reconciliation  possible  on  repentance. 

Now  comes  the  oft-recurring  question,  Is  it  pos- 
sible for  us  to  fulfil  the  laws  of  the  Sermon  on  the 
Mount  ?  The  principles  of  righteousness  therein  an- 
nounced apply  to  all  who  have  accepted  Christ's  ful- 
filment of  law  in  the  atonement  for  their  sin,  and 


St.  Matthezij:    The  King's  Proclamations.     43 

have  put  themselves  under  His  rule.  There  must 
be  a  PERSONAL  knowledge  of  the  King  ere  there 
can  be  such  obedience  as  these  laws  require.  The 
admission  to  His  kingdom^  must  be  by  the  way  ap- 
pointed, namely,  the  New  Birth.  None  others  can 
enter  or  obey.  Practically,  the  teaching  of  St.  John 
iii.  precedes  that  of  St.  Matthew  v. 

The  rejection  of  the  kingdom  and  the  King  by 
those  to  whom  it  was  ofifered  has,  therefore,  post- 
poned the  full  and  world-wide  application  of  this 
proclamation,  until  the  King  shall  return  and  be 
acknowledged  and  His  fulfilment  of  the  law  in  the 
atonement  accepted  as  the  basis  of  His  rule  and 
mercy.  "They  shall  look  on  Him  whom  they  have 
pierced,"  and  then  shall  deliverance  appear  unto  the 
oppressed  and  almost  exterminated  nation. 

2.     The  New  Mission.     Chapter  x. 

Having  thus  privately  taught  the  disciples  the 
manner  of  the  kingdom,  the  next  thing  was  to  send 
out  the  twelve  to  announce  and  proclaim  it  in  all  the 
towns  and  villages,  "whither  He  Himself  would 
come."  They  were  sent  out,  authorized  to  preach 
exactly  what  the  Lord  Himself  had  preached,  and 
to  prove  their  authority  by  performing,  in  His  name, 
the  very  same  miracles  as  they  had  seen  Him  per- 
form at  the  commencement  of  His  ministry.    It  was 


44    ^t.  Matthew:    The  King's  Proclamations. 

the  first  general  proclamation  of  the  kingdom.  In 
chapter  x.  are  found  the  instructions  to  them  for 
this  mission.  With  their  ideas  of  how  this  kingdom 
was  to  be  set  up,  how  strange  must  have  been  the 
instructions  given.  The  keyword  of  this  proclama- 
tion is  VARIANCE^  the  very  reverse  of  what  they  were 
expecting.  The  new  words  are  freely,  persecute, 
confess,  suffer.  Not  success,  then,  was  promised, 
but  opposition  which  would  impinge  specially  on 
themselves.  How  strangely  these  words  must  have 
sounded.  "Freely"  is  not  a  word  pleasant  to  the 
Jewish  mind ;  it  was  the  original  gospel  word  of  the 
Garden  of  Eden :  "Thou  mayest  freely  eat."  "Perse- 
cute !"  Was  not  the  Master  going  to  rulef  "Con- 
fess !"'  Easy  when  there  is  no  opposition,  but  diffi- 
cult when  life  is  threatened.  "Suffer !"  How,  today, 
that  word  needs  to  be  remembered,  in  connection 
with  the  true  Confession  of  Christ. 

The  divisions  of  the  chapter  may  be  taken  thus : 

(a)  Verses  5-15,  applying  to  the  immediate  send- 
ing forth  of  the  twelve,  and  having  no  application 
to  any  later  period. 

(b)  Verses  16-23.  This  section  had  its  accom- 
plishment after  Pentecost,  when  they  were  brought 
before  councils  and  judged  for  the  sake  of  the  truth 
they  preached.  The  Lord's  words  intimated  that 
the  persecution   would  break  out  and  scatter   the 


St.  Matthew:    The  King's  Proclamations.     45 

work  before  they  would  have  gone  through  the 
cities  of  Israel,  and  such  proved  the  case.  Here 
the  thread  of  the  narrative  is  broken,  and  the  re- 
mainder probably  awaits  fulfilment  in  the  future, 
just  before  the  return  of  the  King. 

(c)  Verses  24-42.  This  section  is  of  perpetual 
application,  wherever  the  kingdom  of  heaven  is 
preached  and  entered  into.  One  member  of  a  fam- 
ily coming  under  the  new  rules,  finds  himself,  or 
herself,  at  variance  with  the  rules  of  the  household, 
and  the  peace  of  that  family  is  broken.  It  always 
has  been  so;  there  is  no  help  for  it.  Where  Christ 
is  accepted  as  Lord,  His  rules  for  holy  living  must 
come  into  force,  and  they  are  at  enmity  with  the 
world.  The  Jewish  mind  only  thought  of  earthly 
glory,  victory,  and  the  overthrow  of  enemies  in  con- 
nection with  the  kingdom.  Here  the  Lord  prepares 
disciples  for  opposition  to  His  will,  for  successful 
persecution,  for  postponement,  indefinitely,  of  the 
Messianic  reign  in  glory,  and  bids  them  continue 
to  confess  Him  at  whatever  cost  of  suffering,  prom- 
ising them  a  reward  such  as  is  not  mentioned  in  the 
Old  Testament  prophecies. 

With  such  instructions  as  these,  the  twelve  went 
out,  greatly  wondering,  no  doubt,  what  the  outcome 
would  be,  but  yet  so  strangely  constrained  by  His 
love  and  power.    It  was  a  message  of  salvation  they 


46     St.  Matthezif:    The  King's  Proclamations. 

were  to  carry  out,  accompanied  by  proofs  of  the 
Divine  authority  of  the  Master.  It  was  .a  message 
to  individuals  rather  than  to  the  nation. 

The  next  chapter,  namely,  xi.,  contains  the  refer- 
ence to  John  the  forerunner  in  prison,  sending  the 
two  disciples  to  enquire  as  to  the  Messiahship  of 
Jesus  of  Nazareth.  It  is  all  in  keeping  with  the  ob- 
ject of  Matthew's  narrative  to  give  the  history  of 
the  rejected  King.  At  the  close  of  the  chapter,  will 
be  found  the  woes  pronounced  on  Chorazin,  Beth- 
saida,  Capernaum,  for  their  special  guilt  in  not  re- 
ceiving the  Messiah.  In  chapter  xii.,  there  are  two 
miracles  recorded :  the  curing  of  the  withered  hand 
in  the  synagogue,  and  the  casting  out  of  a  demon 
from  a  blind  and  dumb  man.  The  opposi- 
tion culminated  round  these  two  events  in 
the  first  meeting  of  the  council  to  decide 
on  His  death,  and  in  the  attributing  His 
power. for  working  miracles  to  Beelzebub.  In  His 
teaching,  the  Lord  proves  He  is  greater  than  the 
Sabbath,  the  cherished  institution  of  the  nation; 
greater  than  Jonah,  the  successful  preacher  to  Nine- 
veh, who  turned  that  heathen  city  to  repentance; 
greater  than  Solomon,  the  greatest  of  their  mon- 
archs  for  wisdom.  Yet,  in  spite  of  all  this,  He  has 
to  bear  such  treatment  from  this  "evil  generation." 

In  Chapter  xii.,  the  first  Crisis  in  the  narrative  is 


St.  Matthew:    The  King's  Proclamations.     47 

reached.  From  Chapter  i.,  there  has  been  a 
crescendo  movement,  apparently.  The  King  has 
come,  proved  to  be  the  Son  of  David.  His  fore- 
runner has  annoimced  Him,  the  nation  has  been 
roused.  He  Himself  has  been  attesting  His  Mes- 
siahship  by  His  life  and  teaching,  until  the  fore- 
runner in  prison,  apparently  helpless  and  forgotten 
by  the  Messiah,  is  about  to  die,  and  the  official  re- 
jection has  commenced  in  xii:i4,  by  the  first  meet- 
ing of  the  Sanhedrim  to  plot  His  death.  From  this 
point,  the  proclamation  of  the  kingdom  ceases,  as  it 
had  been  hitherto  announced,  and  another  phase  of 
the  Lord's  ministry  is  entered  upon. 

This  will  explain  the  introduction  of  entirely  new 
m_aterial  into  the  third  of  the  great  discourses,  and 
the  adoption  of  the  parabolic  form  of  teaching,  as 
being  better  adapted  to  His  purposes. 

3.     The  New  Kingdom.    Chapter  xiii. 

With  the  crowds  gathered  around  Him,  the  Lord 
commenced  the  teaching  of  the  disciples  with  a  series 
of  parables,  dealing  with  what  we  may  term  a  New 
Kingdom,  nam.ely  a  kingdom  in  Mystery  in  contrast 
to  one  in  Manifestation.  This  latter  is  impossible, 
because  of  the  attitude  of  the  nation  towards  Him 
personally.  The  abounding  sin  will  only  make  grace 
to  much  more  abound,  but  this  will  be  hidden  from 


48    St.  Matthew:    The  King's  Proclamations. 

the  eyes  of  those  who  have  been  bUnded  to  the  true 
facts  concerning  the  Messiah.  In  a  later  part  of 
the  Gospel,  will  be  found  the  parable  of  the  unfaith- 
ful husbandmen,  chapter  xxi.  33-44.  In  it,  the  Lord 
says,  "The  kingdom  of  God  shall  be  taken  away 
from  you,  and  given  to  a  nation  bringing  forth  the 
fruits  thereof."  Here  He  plainly  describes  the  re- 
moval of  the  nation  from  the  position  designed  for 
them  of  proclaimiing  the  truth  to  the  world,  and  that 
this  position  will  be  given  to  another.  It  is  the  trans- 
ference of  the  kingdom  from  its  manifestation  phase 
to  its  mystery  phase.  He  must  wait  for  the  nation 
to  receive  and  acknowledge  Him  before  He  can  give 
them  the  kingdom  in  full  manifestation.  In  the 
m.eantime.  He  will  carry  on,  through  others,  another 
kind  of  kingdom,  the  working  of  which  will,  in  large 
measure,  be  hidden,  secret  and  mysterious,  accom- 
plished by  the  unseen  power  which  we  now  know 
to  be  that  of  the  Holy  Spirit  sent  down  from  heaven. 
The  parables  contained  in  chapter  xiii.  and  other 
subsequent  chapters  will  deal  with  this  phase  of  His 
purpose.  They  will  be  known  by  the  phrase  with 
which  they  begin :  "The  kingdom  of  heaven  is  like 

unto  ."     It  will  be  seen,  by  careful  study,  that 

these  parables  cover  the  interval  between  the  two 
advents,  describing  the  progress  of  the  work  of  God 
in  the  world  under  the  altered  conditions,  namely,  an 


St.  Matthew:    The  King's  Proclamations.     49 

absent  King-  establishing  the  kingdom  of  God  in 
individual  human  hearts,  rather  than  the  visible 
kingdom  in  a  country  or  a  nation.  All  will  be  found 
to  be  in  preparation  for,  and  anticipation  of,  the 
fact  stated  in  xxv.  31,  namely,  the  sudden  arrival  of 
the  King  in  His  glory,  and  with  all  the  holy  angels, 
to  sit  on  the  throne  of  His  (earthly)  glory,  for  be- 
fore Him  will  be  gathered  all  the  nations. 

It  may  be  helpful  here  to  examine  the  use  and 
meaning  of  certain  phrases  which  are  very  similar 
in  construction,  but  which  must  be  understood  in 
their  shades  of  meaning.  We  shall  find  the  follow- 
ing: 

The  kingdom  of  Heaven. 

The  kingdom  of  God. 

The  kingdom  of  Christ. 

The  kingdom  of  the  Father. 

Are  these  synonymous  ?  There  will  be  much  dif- 
ference of  opinion  as  to  this.  The  following 
thoughts  are  thrown  out  as  suggestions,  not  as  dog- 
matic assertions. 

The  phrase  the  kingdom  of  heaven  is  used  only 
in  this  Gospel,  occurring  thirty-two  times.  The  cor- 
responding phrase,  kingdom  of  God,  on  the  other 
hand,  occurs  only  five  times  (four  times  in  the  R. 
v.),  but  is  frequently  used  in  the  other  Gospels,  and 


50    St  Matthew:    The  King's  Proclamations. 

in  the  Epistles.  In  comparing  some  of  the  parallel 
passages,  such  as  Matt.  xlx.  14,  "of  such  Is  the 
kingdom  of  heaven,"  and  Luke  xvili.  16,  "of  such 
Is  the  kingdom  of  God,''  the  terms  must  be  taken 
to  mean  the  same  thing.  But  It  seems  difficult  to 
assume  that  they  are  therefore  interchangeable. 

In  Rom.  xlv.  17,  the  Apostle  Paul  thus  defines: 
"The  kingdom  of  God  Is  not  meat  and  drink,  but 
Righteousness,  Peace  and  Joy  In  the  Holy  Ghost." 
This  definition  may  be  applied  to  any  text  where 
the  phrase  "kingdom  of  God"  is  used,  and  It  will 
be  found  to  make  perfect  sense.  Not  so,  however, 
If  applied  to  the  phrase  "kingdom  of  heaven."  How, 
then,  shall  we  differentiate?  In  again  studying 
the  narrative  of  St.  Matthew,  we  notice  that,  be- 
tween chapters  Hi.  and  xil..,  the  "kingdom  of 
heaven"  refers  to  that  which  John  the  Baptist,  and 
the  Lord  Jesus  announced  as  about  to  be  offered 
to  the  nation  of  Israel,  in  fulfilment  of  their  Script- 
ures, namely,  the  establishment  on  earth.  In  their 
own  land,  of  the  kingdom  of  God  through  their 
Messiah  visibly  ruling,  and  through  the  nation  con- 
trolling and  governing  the  whole  world,  by  prin- 
ciples and  laws  revealed  from  heaven,  and  given  by 
the  One  from  heaven.  It  would,  therefore,  combine 
the  spiritual  and  the  material  phases  of  kingdom. 
After  the  crisis  of  the  twelfth  chapter,  and  the  im- 


St.  Matthew:    The  King's  Proclamations.     51 

possibility  of  this  being  accomplished,  the  phrase, 
"kingdom  of  heaven,"  assumes,  it  is  suggested,  a 
different  meaning,  and  is  "that  which  professes 

TO   BE   UNDER   THE   RULE   OF   AN    ABSENT    KiNG."       It 

will,  therefore,  contain  mixture  of  what  is  real  and 
what  is  false,  which  can  only  be  detected  by  the  eyes 
of  the  King  Himself,  which  are  "as  a  flame  of  fire." 

Note,  in  the  next  place,  the  five  occurrences  of  the 
phrase,  "kingdom  of  God,"  in  the  Gospel,  and  how 
the  Pauline  definitions  will  fit  into  the  context. 

(i.)  Seek  ye  first  the  kingdom  of  God  and  His 
righteousness,  and  all  things  shell  he  added  unto 
you.  vi.  33.  This  is  a  spiritual  fact,  without 
question. 

■  (2.)  //  /,  hy  the  Spirit  of  God,  cast  out  demons, 
then  is  the  kingdom  of  God  come  nigh  unto  you. 
xii.  28.  Anyone  who  was  the  subject  of  such  a 
mighty  miracle  would  become  possessed  of  Right- 
eousness, which  is  Justification,  Peace  and  Joy  in  the 
Holy  Ghost. 

(3.)  How  hardly  shall  a  rich  man  enter  the 
kingdom  of  God.  xix.  24.  Plenty  of  them  are  in 
the  kingdom  of  heaven ;  they  are  welcomed  into  the 
professing  Church  of  Christ  because  of  the  position 
their  wealth  gives  them;  but  have  they  Righteous- 
ness, Peace,  and  Joy  in  the  Holy  Ghost?  It  is 
difficult  for  a  rich  man,  if  a  philanthropist,  to  real- 


52    St.  Matthew:    The  King's  Proclamations. 

ize  his  need  of  justification.  His  wealth  gives  him 
so  much  to  enjoy,  it  is  almost  impossible  for  him  to 
know  his  need  of  the  peace  of  God  passing  all  under- 
standing, or  the  joy  of  the  indwelling  of  the  Holy 
Spirit. 

(4.)  The  publicans  and  harlots  enter  into  the 
kingdom  of  God  before  you!  xxi.  23.  It  was 
easier  to  get  these  to  confess  their  sin  and  receive 
Divine  righteousness,  peace  and  joy,  than  for  the 
self-righteous  Pharisees.  As  instances,  there  are 
Zaccheus,  the  Woman  of  Samaria,  the  sinful  woman 
in  Simon's  house,  as  well  as  Matthew  himself. 

(5.)  The  kingdom  of  God  shall  be  taken  from 
you  and  given  to  a  nation  bringing  forth  the  fruits 
thereof,  xxi.  43.  Have  not  the  English-speaking 
nations  been  most  used  of  God  in  proclaiming  the 
doctrines  of  justification  by  faith,  peace  through 
the  sacrifice  of  Christ,  joy  in  the  conscious  presence 
of  the  Spirit  of  God  and  the  fruits  thereof? 

If  this  be  a  fair  and  truthful  meaning  of  the  two 
phrases,  may  we  not  make  a  survey  of  the  whole 
of  the  Bible  thus?  All  through  human  history, 
there  have  been  the  two  classes,  the  True  and  the 
merely  Professing.  The  period  from  Adam  to  Saul 
may  be  called,  for  convenience  sake,  the  "kingdom 
of  Jehovah."  In  this  are  found  such  men  as  Cain 
and  Abel ;   Ishmael   and   Isaac ;   Esau   and  Jacob ; 


St.  Matthezv:    The  King's  Proclamations.     53 

Achan  and  Joshua,  etc.  The  true  ones  form  the 
kingdom  of  God  of  the  period,  for  they*  knew,  but 
dimly  perhaps,  God's  way  of  justifying,  and  God's 
way  of  peace. 

Then  the  period  from  David  to  Malachi  may  be 
termed  the  ''kingdom  of  Israel,"  with  its  mixture 
of  the  true  and  false.  There  are  the  faithful  and 
unfaithful  kings  alternating,  such  as  Solomon  and 
Rehoboam;  Jehoshaphat  and  Jehoram;  Hezekiah 
and  Manasseh.  The  Prophets  also  were  of  the 
two  classes,  Elijah  and  the  Prophets  of  Baal;  Jere- 
miah and  Hananiah,  etc. 

The  third  period  will  be  from  the  First  to  the 
Second  Advent  of  our  Lord,  and  is  called  the 
"kingdom  of  heaven"  period.  Taking  the  language 
of  the  parables,  we  find  there  will  be  wheat  and 
tares;  good  and  bad  fish;  faithful  and  unfaithful 
servants;  virgins  with  and  without  oil,  etc.  Into 
the  kingdom  of  God  are  gathered  the  first  of  each 
of  these  couples,  though  all  profess  to  be  in  the 
kingdom  of  heaven. 

The  fourth  is  the  millennial  kingdom,  which  is 
called  the  "kingdom  of  Christ.''  During  this  period, 
there  will  be  the  same  phase  of  mixture;  many 
will  yield  but  feigned  obedience,  and  a  smouldering 
rebellion  will  break  out  at  the  first  opportunity.  The 
"kingdom  of  God"  will  have  assumed  its  largest 


54    ^^.  Matthew:    The  King's  Proclamations. 

dimensions  in  this  period,  but  it  will  not  be  univer- 
sal. Once  more  must  separation  take  place,  when 
the  King  must  sever  the  false  from  the  true. 

After  that  period,  there  will  come  the  ''kingdom 
of  the  Father,"  when  Christ  will  have  handed  up 
the  kingdom  to  God  even  the  Father,  and  God  shall 
be  all  in  all.  This  is  the  great  climax  for  which 
the  Lord  taught  the  disciples  to  pray  in  the  petition, 
"Our  Father,  who  art  in  heaven,— THY  KINGDOM 
COME." 

Now  to  turn  back  to  Matthew  xiii.,  and  look 
briefly  at  the  new  statements  from  the  rejected 
King's  lips  about  this  new  ''kingdom  of  heaven." 
He  describes  Himself  under  various  names.  In 
the  first  parable,  He  is  Sower ;  in  the  second,  a  Man 
owning  a  field ;  in  the  third,  a  Man  sowing  a  mustard 
seed ;  in  the  fifth,  a"  Man  buying  a  field ;  in  the  sixth, 
a  Man  buying  pearls.  The  whole  suggestion  is 
that  of  a  mysterious,  vefled  person  working,  un- 
observed, behind  the  scenes,  unrecognized  by  the 
majority,  but  effectually  working  out  his  own  pur- 
poses. The  good  seed  he  sows  is  the  Gospel  of  the 
grace  of  God  but  it  is  counterfeited  by  the  spurious 
gospel  of  the  enemy. 

The  outlook  will  be  anything  but  bright;  three- 
fourths  of  the  sowing  may  be  unproductive ;  the  field 
may  yield  a  larger  crop  of  worthless  weed  than 


'rri.G.-i'Q  <Zj 


56      St.  Matthew:  The  Kings  Proclamations. 

wheat;  the  expense  of  acquiring  what  His  heart  is 
set  on,  may  be  very  great,  involving  Him  in  the 
selHng  of  all  that  He  has,  yet  He  zuill  have  that  field 
with  its  treasure,  and  He  will  have  that  pearl  of 
great  price. 

The  work  goes  forward,  but  not  as  the  disciples 
had  expected,  and  the  King,  no  longer  declared  to 
be  such,  is  veiled,  for  a  tim.e,  and  is  developing  a 
hidden  kingdom,  a  spiritual  one,  till  the  day  of 
manifestation. 

The  keyword  of  this  chapter  is  mixture,  and  the 
new  word  is  mystery. 

4.     The  New  Association,    xvi.  13-28;  xviii.  1-35. 

Chapters  xiv.,  xv.,  xvi.,  have  revealed  the  sudden 
cruel  martyrdom  of  John  the  Baptist,  the  increas- 
ing hostility  of  the  Pharisees,  and  the  withdrawal  of 
the  Lord  to  the  most  remote  boundary  of  His  jour- 
neyings,  namely,  the  coasts  of  Csesarea  Philippi. 
Here  He  gives  a  further  revelation  of  the  future 
plans,  and  brings  in  His  new  word,  CHURCH 
(xvi.  18).  He  again  refers  to  it  in  xviii.  17.  Put  to- 
gether the  passages  in  xvi.  13-28  and  xviii.  1-35,  and 
they  will  make  the  fourth  important  discourse  given 
to  the  disciples.  It  is  a  continuation  of  certain  facts 
and  principles  of  the  kingdom  of  heaven,  and  He 
deals  with  His  own  sufferings  and  future  return 


St.  Matthew:    The  King's  Proclamations.     57 

in  glory,  with  the  causing  of  StumbHng,  DiscipHne 
and  Forgiveness.  At  the  commencement  of  this 
proclamation,  He  has  used  those  words  in  xvi.  18, 
19,  which  have  given  rise  to  so  much  controversy, 
'Thou  art  Peter,  and  on  this  rock  I  will  build  my 
Church,  and  the  gates  of  hades  shall  not  prevail 
against  it.  I  will  give  unto  thee  the  keys  of  the 
kingdom  of  heaven,"  etc.  Confusion  has  arisen 
through  the  imagining  that  the  words  "Church" 
and  "kingdom"  mean  the  same  thing.  They  are 
to  be  kept  quite  distinct.  There  are  no  keys  to 
the  Church.  The  Holy  Spirit  is  the  Porter  who  has 
charge  of  the  door  of  entrance,  and  He  alone  can 
admit  to  the  Church.  No  man,  or  body  of  men,  no 
hierarchy,  or  committee  can  admit  to  the  Church  of 
God.  They  have  keys  of  doors  to  admit  to  that 
which,  on  earth,  is  visible,  and  is  called  "the  king- 
dom of  heaven,"  or  by  men,  "the  Church,"  but  it 
is  not  ratified  in  heaven,  necessarily.  The  founda- 
tion of  the  Church  is  the  Atonement,  the  work 
wrought  out  by  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ  on  the  Cross. 

The  keys  handed  to  Peter  were  the  keys  of  knowl- 
edge wherewith  he  subsequently  went,  after  Pente- 
cost, and  opened,  to  Jews  and  Gentiles  the  doors 
into  the  knowledge  of  who,  and  where,  Jesus  the 
Nazarene  was,  namely,  on  the  right  hand  of  God 
in  glory,  and  not,  as  was  thought,  in  the  tomb  in  the 


58     St.  Matthew:    The  King's  Proclamations. 

garden  of  Joseph  of  Arimathea.  Peter  proclaimed 
the  sovereignty  of  the  King,  the  power  of  the  King 
to  save  from  sin  because  He  had  been  crucified.  He 
used  one  key  on  the  day  of  Pentecost  at  Jerusalem, 
and  3,000  Jews  entered  the  kingdom  of  heaven,  and 
confessed  Jesus  as  the  Christ.  He  used  the  other 
key  at  Csesarea,  in  the  household  of  Cornelius,  and 
all  that  household  also  entered  the  kingdom  of 
heaven.  To  his  surprise,  and  to  the  surprise  of 
others,  there  was  found  to  be  no  "wall  of  partition'' 
inside  the  doors. 

The  concluding  statement  was  that  the  veiled  un- 
seen Lord  vvould  nevertheless  be  present  "mth  His 
people,  even  when  only  two  happened  to  meet  to- 
gether in  His  name,  whether  on  the  street,  or  in 
prayer,  or  in  worship,  or  in  any  other  way.  If  His 
name  be  the  bond  of  union,  the  subject  of  conversa- 
tion, the  object  of  faith,  THERE  AM  L  This 
would  lift  the  gloom  and  the  difficulty  with  regard 
to  the  grave  "kingdom"  question,  ,and  they  must 
work,  worship,  and  wait  for  Him  under  these  new 
and  unexpected  conditions. 

The  keyword  of  this  proclamation  is  presence, 
and  the  new  word  is  church. 

5.     The  New  Hope,    xxiii.-xxv. 

It  is  the  last  week  of  the  earthly  ministry  and 
of  the  loving  care  of  those  few  faithful  men  and 


St.  Matthew:    The  King's  Proclamations.     59 

women.  He  has  returned  to  Jerusalem,  and  is 
giving  His  last  public  utterances  in  the  temple 
courts,  and  the  final  explanations  to  the  disciples. 
Chapter  xxiii.  is  the  last  utterance  in  the  temple,  and 
it  is  nothing  but  woe  pronounced  on  those  leaders 
who  have  opposed  Him  from  the  beginning,  and  are 
guilty  of  preventing  others,  who  would  have  done 
so,  from  entering  into  the  kingdom  of  heaven.  The 
woe  must  fall,  there  can  be  no  escape.  The  close  of 
the  chapter  tells  how  He  left  the  sacred  building, 
calling  it  "Your  house/'  not,  as  He  had  at  the  begin- 
ning of  His  ministry,  ''My  Father's  house.''  The  re- 
jected Son  of  the  Father  is  leaving  the  house  of  the 
Father,  and  from  henceforth  it  will  be  disowned, 
unprotected,  unvisited.  As  He  leaves,  He  hints  at 
His  return,  but  only  as  the  welcomed  Son  of  David 
and  the  Messiah  from  heaven.  On  the  way  to  the 
Mount  of  Olives,  the  disciples,  pained  at  His  re- 
marks about  the  building  they  all  loved  so  intensely, 
tried  to  rekindle  His  waning  interest  in  it  by  calling 
His  attention  to  its  superb  foundation  stones,  so 
clearly  visible. 

This  led  to  His  memorable  utterances  to  them 
on  the  mountain,  contained  in  xxiv.  and  xxv.  First, 
He  drew  a  darker  picture  than  He  had  yet  drawn 
before  them,  describing  the  future  convulsions,  both 
national  and  physical,  which  would  overwhelm  the 


6o    St.  Matthew:    The  King's  Proclamations. 

nation  and  city,  culminating  in  the  utter  destruction 
both  of  city  and  temple,  so  that  the  most  glorious 
house  would  be  obliterated.  It  was  a  time  of  pro- 
found peace.  The  Lord  was  born  when  the  Roman 
power  held  absolute  sway,  and  there  was  not  a  ripple 
on  the  surface.  But  no  sooner  had  the  Jewish  sin 
against  God  culminated  in  the  crucifixion  of  the 
Son  of  God,  and  the  rejection  of  the  Holy  Spirit, 
than  war  broke  out  which  has  never  ceased,  and  con- 
tinues in  the  world  up  to  the  present  time.  It  will 
so  continue  till  the  Prince  of  Peace  returns  to  make 
wars  to  cease,  and  to  do  so  by  putting  back  into  their 
right  place  the  nation  whom  God  long  since  chose 
to  be  HIS  central  power  for  the  government  of  the 
world  in  righteousness  and  peace.  No  Peace  Socie- 
ties can  ever  accomplish  what  God  has  put  into  the 
hands  of  His  Son  to  accomplish. 

The  disciples  asked  Him  three  questions:  When 
shall  these  things  be?  meaning  the  overthrow  He 
had  just  described;  What  shall  be  the  sign  of  Thy 
coming?  which  He  had  referred  to  in  xxiii.  39,  and 
What  shall  be  the  sign  of  the  end  of  the  age?  He 
had  referred  to  the  end  of  the  age  in  chapter  xiii., 
in  the  interpretation  of  the  parable  of  the  wheat  and 
tares.  These  three  questions  He  answers  in  the 
order  in  which  they  were  asked.  The  first  is 
answered  in  verses  4-8. 


St  Matthew:    The  Kirnr's  Proclamations.     6i 


"All  these  things  are  the  beginning  of  travail." 

The  second  question  is  answered  in  verses  9  to 
the  middle  of  30,  "Then  shall  appear  the  sign  of  the 
Son  of  man  in  heaven."  What  that  sign  will  be, 
there  seems  to  be  no  indication.  It  will  be  a  sign 
recognized  by  the  remnant  of  the  Jewish  nation 
undergoing  the  last  terrible  siege  of  their  city  by  the 
combined  armies  of  anti-Christ.  This  sign  will  be 
to  them  the  precursor  of  their  great  deliverance,  to 
be  shortly  followed  by  the  Son  of  man  coming  in 
the  clouds  of  heaven,  with  power  and  great  glory. 
The  third  answer  is  from  the  middle  of  verse  30, 
and  31. 

All  the  features  described  in  the  earlier  verses 
have  been  prevalent  throughout  the  world  during 
the  last  nineteen  centuries.  The  recurrence  of  earth- 
quakes, famines,  and  other  great  calamities,  is  not 
a  sign  of  the  end.  It  is  the  predicted  order  of  things 
until  God  shall  restore  all  things  at  the  Second  Ad- 
vent, and  then  these  calamities  will  cease. 

The  last  section  of  this  chapter  is  the  LxDrd's  com- 
ment on  His  predictions,  giving  practical  shape  to 
them  in  the  exhortations  He  delivers.  They  are 
primarily  meant  for  the  guidance  and  comfort  of 
such  of  His  own  nation  as  will  be  passing  through 
the  crisis  period  of  the  close  of  the  dark  part  of 
the  national  history,  and  this  chapter  does  not  con- 


62     St.  Matthew:    The  Kins^'s  Proclamations. 


tain  the  revelation  of  these  events  in  relation  to  the 
Church. 

Ch.  XXV.  concludes  the  discourse.  The  first  par- 
able commences  with  the  word  then,  fixing  the 
time  of  fulfilment  in  relation  to  the  preceding  chap- 
ter. It  concludes  with  the  same  injunction  as  in 
xxiv.  42,  "Watch,  therefore,  for  ye  'know  not  the 
day  nor  the  hour."  The  second  parable  is  a  private 
scene  of  reward  to  faithful  servants  during  the  clos- 
ing darkest  period.  And  the  third  is  not  parable  at 
all,  but  the  prediction  of  facts,  namely,  the  appear- 
ing in  glory  of  the  Son  of  man,  sitting  upon  the 
throne  of  His  glory,  the  earthly  throne,  it  must  be 
remembered,  and  before  Him  being  gathered  all  na- 
tions, mainly  European  nations,  concerned  in  the  re- 
cent events  of  the  attack  and  defence  of  Jerusalem. 
The  scene  is  one  dealing  with  the  preliminary  stages 
of  the  establishment  of  the  Messianic  kingdom,  so 
long  delayed,  and  is  the  amplification  of  the  words 
in  xiii.  41,  *'the  gathering  out  of  His  kingdom  all 
things  that  cause  stumbling  and  them  that  do  in- 
iquity." If  we  are  right  in  suggesting  that  the  whole 
of  the  circumstances  centre  round  the  Jewish  nation, 
then  "My  brethren"  will  refer  to  the  members  of 
that  nation,  and  not  to  the  members  of  the  Church. 
The  principle,  however,  holds  good  of  the  rewards 
to  be  given  to  all  who  have  succoured  the  Lord's 


St.  Matthew:    The  King's  Proclamations.     63 

own  people  under  any  circumstances,  but  the  inter- 
pretation of  this  scene  must  be  locaHzed  to  the  people 
specially  referred  to,  and  for  whose  guidance  and 
enlightenment  this  Gospel  was  primarily  written. 

Thus  the  King  will  return,  take  possession  of  the 
kingdom  by  force,  seeing  He  was  rejected  when 
coming  on  the  ground  of  grace.  It  is  not  the  termi- 
nation of  the  history  of  the  world,  but  the  termina- 
tion of  another  stage  in  its  history  merely,  the  stage 
that  commenced  with  Christ's  first  coming  to  redeem 
and  bless,  and  concludes  with  His  return  to  govern 
and  rule  in  righteousness. 

The  keyword  of  this  last  proclamation  is  mani- 
festation. The  new  words  are  woe,  elect,  judg- 
ment. Not  the  whole  nation  are  to  be  partakers  of 
final  blessing,  but  a  selection  out  of  them  who  shall 
be  found  to  be  believers.  Not  universal  mercy,  but 
judgment,  must  mark  the  arrival  of  the  Lord,  inas- 
much as  His  fulfilment  of  law  in  the  Atonement 
will  have  been  refused  all  down  the  centuries,  and 
the  great  apostacy  will  have  culminated  in  the  de- 
velopment of  anti-Christ,  which  will  have  vitally 
attected  a  large  section  of  the  nation,  who  will  have 
received  this  evil  and  false  Messiah,  in  preference 
to  the  true  Messiah,  Jesus  of  Nazareth.  The  open- 
ing question,  "Where  is  He  that  is  born  King  of 
the  Jews?"  will  have  its  full  and  final  answer  in 


64    St  Matthew:    The  King's  Proclamations. 

His   appearing   in   glory   to   occupy  the   throne   of 
David,  and  in  His  enemies  being  made  His  footstool. 

WHEN  THE  KING  COMES. 

They  come  and  go,  the  seasons  fair, 

And   bring  their  spoil  to   vale  and   hills; 
But  oh!   there  is  waiting  in  the  air, 

And   a  passionate   hope  the   spirit  fills. 
Why  doth  He  tarry,  the  absent  Lord? 

When    shall    the   kingdom   be   restored, 
And  earth  and  heaven,  with  one  accord, 

Ring  out  the  cry  that  the  King  comes? 

Chorus. — What  will  it  be  when  the  King  comes! 

The   floods  have   lifted    up  their  voice — 

The  King  hath  come  to  His  own.   His  own! 
The  little  hills  and  vales  rejoice, 

His  right  it  is  to  take  the  crown. 
Sleepers,    awake,    and  meet    Him  first! 

Now  let  the  marriage  hymn  outburst, 
And   powers  of   darkness  flee,    disperst: 

What  will  it  be  when  the   King   comes! 

A  ransomed  earth  breaks  forth  in  song, 

Her  sin-stained  ages  overpast; 
Her  yearning,   "Lord,   how  long,   how  long?" 

Exchanged   for  joy  at   last,   at  last! 
Angels  carry  the   royal   commands; 

Peace  beams  forth  throughout  all  the  lands; 
The  trees  of  the  field  shall  clap  their  hands: 

What  will  it  be  when  the  King  comes! 

Now   Zion's   hill,    with   glory   crowned. 

Uplifts  her   head  with  joy  once  more; 
And  Zion's  King,  once  scorned,  disowned, 

Extends  her  rule  from  shore  to  shore. 
Sing,  for  the  land  her  Lord  regains! 

Sing,   for  the   Son  of   David   reigns! 
And  living  streams  o'erflow  her  plains: 

What  will  it  be  when  the  King  comes! 


St.  Matthew:    The  King's  Proclamations.     65 

Oh,  brothers,  stand  as  men  that  wait — 

The  dawn  is  purpling  in  the  east, 
And  banners  wave  from  heaven's  high  gate; 

The  conflict  now — but  soon  the   feast! 
Mercy  and  truth  shall  meet  again; 

Worthy   the   Lamb   that   once   was   slain! 
We  can  suffer  now — He  will  know  us  then: 

What  will  it  be  when  the  King  comes! 

E.  E.  Elliott. 


> 

?   .X 

Divisions. 

1.  xxiii.      Woes. 

2.  xxiv.         3  -  6. 
Answer     to     ist 
Question. 

3.  xxiv.      7-301/2. 
Answer    to    2nd 
Question.                1 

4.  xxiv.        30%- 
31.     Answer    to 
3d   Question. 

5._     XXV.      _    1-13. 
Ten    Virgins. 

6.  XXV.        14-30. 
Talents. 

7.  XXV.        31-46. 
Sheep  and  Goats. 

New   Words 

Woe.                Elect. 

Judgment. 

Keyword 
MANIFESTA- 
TION. 

II 

> 

sx 

> 
x 

Divisions. 

1.  xvi.    13-28.   The 
King's       Suffer- 
ings    and     Tri- 
umph. 

2.  xviii.         1-14. 
Little    Ones. 

3-^.^Y"i:       15-20. 
Discipline. 

4.       xviii.       21-35. 
Forgiveness. 

H  0 

X 

0 

bo  0 

.H  w  Q 

0 

0   J3 

Ah 

II 

Divisions. 

1.  vs.     1-23.    The 
Sower. 

2.  24-30.     Wheat 
and   Tares. 

3.  31,   32.      Mus- 
tard  Seed. 

4.  33.      Leaven. 

5.  44.      Treasure 
in    Field. 

6.  45.     Pearl. 

7.  47-50.       Drag- 
net. 

11 

0 

II 

H 

Divisions. 

1.  vs.   s-15.   Local. 

2.  16-23.       After 
Pentecost. 

3-       24-62.       Gen- 
eral    Principles. 

11 

IT) 

11 

c' 
0 

Jl. 

^1 

II 

Divisions. 

1.  V.   3-16.   Intro- 
ductory. 

2.  V.     17-vii.       12. 
Law     and     Pro- 
phets. 

[a]  V.    17-W.     Relation 
of  Man  to  Man. 

[b]  VI.  1-18.    Relation  of 
Man    to   God     in   Thing.s 
Spirittml. 

[c]  VI.    19-32.     Relation 
of  Man  to  God  in  Things 
Temporal. 

{d]  VII.  1-12.  Attitude  of 
Man     toward     God     and 
Man. 

3.  vii.     13-29.     Be 
decided. 

V 

So 

< 

2| 

If 

c/3 

Chapter  IV. 
ST.  MATTHEW :   THE  KING. 


The  Parables — Photographic  and  Prophetic. 

^TT^HIS  Gospel  contains  twenty  prominent  Para- 
-■-        bles,  of  which  thirteen  are  found  only  in  it. 
Of  these  twenty,  fourteen   form  the  ''kingdom  of 
heaven''  series. 

The  thirteen  peculiar  to  the  book  are : 


I. 

The  Wheat  and  Tares. 

2. 

The  Hidden  Treasure. 

3. 

The  Pearl  of  Great  Price. 

4. 

5- 

The  Dragnet. 

The  Householder  and  His  Treasure 

6. 

7- 
8. 

9. 
10. 

The  Unforgiving  Servant. 
Vineyard  Labourers. 
The  Wedding  Feast. 
The  Ten  Virgins. 
The  Talents. 

II. 
12. 

The  Sheep  and  Goats. 

The  Builders  on  Rock  and  Sand. 

13- 

The  Man  with  two  Sons. 

The  ''kingdom  of  heaven"  series  comprises  num- 
bers one  to  eleven,  together  with  the  parables  of  the 

67 


68  The  Parables — Photographic  and  Prophetic. 

Sower,  the  Mustard  Seed  and  the  Leaven.  The 
remaining  parables,  found  also  in  other  Gospels,  are 
the  Lost  Sheep,  the  Unfaithful  Vineyard  Husband- 
men, the  Patched  Cloth,  and  the  Wineskins. 

The  Lord's  parables  have  sometimes  been  com- 
pared to  the  great  works  of  fiction  produced  by 
well-known  authors,  as  though  such  might  be  classi- 
fied with  these  wondrous  utterances  of  His.  The 
difference  between  them  lies  in  this,  that  whilst  all 
works  of  fiction  and  parables  may  be  photographic, 
and  depict  different  phases  of  human  life  and  char- 
acter as  they  actually  exist,  works  of  fiction  by 
human  writers  can  never  be  prophetic.  If  any 
should  be,  it  is  accidental,  and  not  the  result  of 
foreknowledge.  Not  so  with  the  Lord's  parables. 
They  must  ever  stand  out  as  being  divine  in  their 
conception,  and  whilst  photographic  of  human  char- 
acter in  all  time,  and  not  merely  when  they  were 
uttered,  they  are  also  prophetic,  and  as  such,  as  ac- 
curate as  in  their  other  features.  With  the  Lord, 
there  was  no  speculation  as  to  the  future.  He  spoke 
from  knowledge,  not  from  mere  guess  of  what  per- 
chance might  be.  It  is,  therefore,  highly  derogatory 
ever  to  compare  these  sublime  and  far-reaching 
utterances  with  the  highest  flights  of  intellectual 
fancy. 

Another  important  feature  that  must  not  be  over- 


The  Parables — Photographic  and  Prophetic.  69 

looked,  is,  that  in  the  Lord's  parables  nothing  of 
fable,  or  contrary  to  nature  is  ever  introduced.  He 
invents  nothing  in  order  to  illustrate  the  truth.  All 
He  weaves  into  parable  is  everyday  matter-of-fact, 
things  that  happened  constantly,  and  that  might 
happen  anywhere.  This  made  all  He  said  so  strik- 
ing, so  forcible.  His  word  told  so  effectually,  be- 
cause divine  truths  were  illustrated  by  ordinary 
happenings.  Much  of  human  parable  is  absolutely 
impossible  and  fictitious — clever  as  it  may  appear 
to  be. 

How  Does  the  King  Appear? 
Having  been  officially  rejected  by  the  Sanhedrim, 
and  knowing  what  the  climax  of  this  must  be,  the 
Lord  began  to  teach  in  parables,  not  to  conceal  the 
truth,  but  to  so  partially  veil  it,  that  only  those  who 
came  to  inquire  of  Him  the  meaning,  would  be  able 
to  understand.  The  method  He  adopted  was, 
therefore,  to  stir  inquiry,  not  to  stifle  knowledge. 
In  this  way  must  the  quotation  from  Isa.  vi.  in 
Matt.  xiii.  14,  be  understood:  "By  hearing  ye  shall 
hear,  and  shall  in  no  wise  understand;  and  seeing, 
ye  shall  see,  and  shall  in  no  wise  perceive :  for  this 
people's  heart  is  waxed  gross,  and  their  ears  are 
dull  of  hearing,  and  their  eyes  they  have  closed: 
lest,  haply,  they  should  perceive  with  their  eyes, 
and  hear  with  their  ears,  and  understand  with  their 


70  The  Parables — Photographic  and  Prophetic. 

heart,  and  should  turn  again,  and  I  should  heal 
them."  To  the  disciples,  He  at  once  proceeded  to 
explain,  and  nothing  gave  Him  greater  joy  than 
to  be  enquired  of.  Is  not  this  the  secret  today  of 
all  blessing?  To  the  multitudes  now,  the  Lord's 
words  are  as  hidden  as  in  His  own  time. 

In  the  series  of  parables  selected  for  our  study 
we  shall  see  how  He  veils  Himself,  but  shews  what 
He  is  doing  whilst  rejected  and  invisible.  In  xiii. 
3,  He  appears  as  a  Sower  of  seed.  No  one  will  look 
twice  at  such  a  familiar  and  ordinary  man.  In  xiii. 
24,  He  represents  Himself  as  a  Mian  owning  a  field, 
and  He  afterwards  explains  that  the  field  is  the 
world.  This  one  explanation  is  the  clue  to  the  sub- 
sequent use  of  the  word  "world"  in  other  parables. 
He  has  stepped  outside  the  narrow  circle  of  the 
Jewish  nation  and  polity,  and  is  beginning  to  ex- 
pand His  mission,  and  shew  that  it  is  for  the  world. 
This  was  one  new  idea  for  these  disciples.  In  xiii. 
31,  He  is  a  Man  sowing  a  tiny  seed,  a  mustard  seed, 
which  develops  abnormally,  and  becomes  a  great 
tree.  Then,  in  xiii.  44,  He  is  a  Man  who,  finding 
a  treasure,  hides  it,  and  buys  the  field  wherein  it  is 
hidden,  and  sells  all  he  has  in  order  to  be  able  to 
get  possession.  In  the  next  parable.  He  is  the 
Merchantman  (ver.  45),  selling  all  to  buy  the  pearl 
of  great  price.     To  preserve  the  continuity  of  the 


The  Parables — Photographic  and  Prophetic.  71 

teaching,  it  will  be  found  necessary  to  make  Him 
the  prominent  figure  in  all  these  cases.  It  is  about 
Himself  He  is  teaching  as  still  the  King,  but  the 
rejected  King.  But  what  is  the  treasure,  and  what 
is  the  pearl? 

It  is  a  principle,  in  the  interpretation  of  Scripture, 
that  words  are  used  in  the  same  connection  through- 
out, unless  otherwise  specified.  We  must  therefore 
look  to  find  out  in  what  connection  these  two  words 
are  elsewhere  used.  The  word  Treasure  is  a  favour- 
ite word  descriptive  of  the  peculiar  value  God  has 
set  upon  the  nation  of  Israel  (see  Exodus  xix.  5, 
Psalm  cxxxv.  4,  and  Malachi  iii.  17).  Here,  then, 
is  our  clue.  The  Lord  is  evidently  referring  to  the 
fact  that  He  came  to  obtain  possession  of  the  lost 
nation,  and  to  hide  it  in  the  world  which  He  would 
redeem,  till  such  time  as  He  would  produce  it  be- 
fore all  eyes.  Is  not  this  the  exact  condition  of 
the  nation  now,  and  will  it  not  be  so  till  He  returns 
and  discloses  it  as  His  peculiar  treasure?  Then  for 
the  Pearl  we  must  turn  to  Rev.  xxi.  21,  where  the 
gates  of  the  new  Jerusalem  are  spoken  of  as  of 
pearl.  And  in  a  previous  verse,  this  city  is  called 
the  bride,  the  Lamb's  wife.  This  seems  to  be  an 
allusion  to  the  Church  as  the  Bride,  and  therefore 
the  parable  will  contain,  embedded  in  it,  the  truth 
that  the  same  price  paid  for  the  world  has  also  been 


y2  The  Parables — Photographic  and  Prophetic. 

paid  for  the  Church.  It  is  spoken  of  as  ''purchased 
with  His  own  blood." 

While  the  first  three  parables  give  the  general 
aspect  of  His  work — proclaiming,  and  scattering, 
the  good  seed  of  the  Gospel,  the  two  last  referred 
to  give  the  inner  fact  of  the  purchase  of  Calvary, 
the  rich  One  becoming  poor  in  order  to  acquire  the 
rights  of  property  in  the  whole  world  and  all  it 
contains,  namely,  a  people  that  belong  to  Him,  and 
a  Church  to  belong  to  Him  for  His  special  adorn- 
ment and  glory. 

In  xiii.  51,  He  speaks  of  Himself  as  a  House- 
holder who  bringeth  forth  out  of  his  treasure  things 
new  and  old.  In  what  He  has  already  said  have 
been  seen  old  things,  such  as  the  Word  of  God  being 
like  seeds ;  an  enemy  being  at  work ;  the  angels ;  the 
treasure;  a  big  tree  growing.  But  the  new  things 
He  brought  forth  were  startling  in  their  meaning 
and  far  beyond  the  expectation  and  conception  of 
the  Jewish  mind.  The  prophetic  element  has  en- 
tered in  with  the  phrase,  ''at  the  end  of  the  age," 
and  all  the  events   clustering  around  it. 

In  chap.  xxi.  i,  the  King  appears  as  a  House- 
holder employing  labour  in  his  vineyard.  If  the  day 
may  represent  the  period  of  His  absence,  it  shews 
how,  during  all  the  time  of  His  absence,  He  is  will- 
ing and  anxious  to  secure  workers,  whom  He  will 
reward  as  He  thinks  fit. 


The  Parables — Photographic  and  Prophetic.  73 

In  chap,  xviii.  23,  He  is  represented,  for  the  first 
time,  as  a  King;  but  it  is  a  private  scene,  and  not  a 
public  one.  He  is  seen  taking  account  of  His  serv- 
ants, and  finding  out  the  terrible  defalcations  of  one 
of  them.  The  series  of  parables  is  drawing  near  its 
close,  and  as  this  is  the  case,  the  original  features 
in  which  the  King  was  represented  begin  to  dis- 
appear, and  what  He  really  is  comes  into  sight  in- 
stead. 

In  chap.  xxii.  2,  He  gives  the  parable  of  the  mar- 
riage of  the  king's  son.  It  is  easy  to  see  who  is 
meant.  He  Himself  is  the  son,  but  attention  is 
immediately  diverted  from  the  central  group,  to  be 
fixed  on  one  of  the  guests,  and  nothing  further  is 
told  concerning  the  marriage,  or  the  parties  imme- 
diately concerned. 

Similarly,  the  next  parable  (chap.  xxv.  4)  opens 
with  ''Behold  the  Bridegroom  cometh!"  but  no 
further  description  is  given,  nor,  in  either  case,  is 
any  mention  made  of  the  Bride.  Why  not?  To 
the  Jewish  mind,  anything  resembling  the  idea  of 
marriage  in  connection  with  their  Messiah  was  abso- 
lutely foreign  to  their  thoughts.  It  would  not  have 
been  politic  or  prudent  to  have  then  disclosed  what 
was  a  mystery  hidden  from  all  prophets,  and  not  re- 
vealed to  any,  namely,  the  mystery  of  the  Church 
as  the  Bride  of  the  Lamb.    It  is  merely  hinted  at  in 


74  The  Parables — Photographic  and  Prophetic. 

the  briefest  manner,  and  attention  drawn  to  other 
details  which  would  be  of  more  importance  to  those 
for  whom  these  words  were  uttered. 

In  chap.  XXV.  13,  He  is  seen  as  a  Nobleman  ad- 
ministering his  estate  and  property,  and  this,  again 
is  a  private  scene,  and  not  for  the  general  public. 
Then,  in  verse  31,  suddenly,  without  warning,  or 
any  intimation,  the  King  takes  His  place  on  His 
throne,  and  wields  the  sceptre  of  sovereign  power, 
which  is  irresistible.  All  nations  are  summoned; 
none  can  or  dare  keep  away.  Around  Him  are  the 
executive  hosts  of  mighty  angels,  who  do  His  will, 
who  excel  in  strength,  before  whom-  the  strongest 
human  hosts  are  as  nothing.  They  have  watched  the 
infinite  patience  and  long  suffering  of  their  Lord, 
with  human  sin  and  rebellion,  and  now  that  the 
hour  has  struck  for  the  putting  forth  of  His  mighty 
power,  they  are  there,  keen,  eager,  dependable,  and 
accurate;  and  the  work  of  solemn  separation,  so 
often  foretold,  proceeds.  The  unknown,  unrecog- 
nized, ordinary  Sower  has  been  manifested  as  the 
Lord  of  the  World,  wherein  He  sowed  the  seed 
of  the  truth,  which  He  watered  with  His  own  blood. 

The  photographic  features  of  the  parables  can  be 
easily  distinguished.  In  the  parable  of  the  Sower, 
He  portrayed  the  different  conditions  of  His  hearers 
•towards  the  truth.     In  the  Wheat  and  Tares,  He 


The  Parables — Photographic  and  Prophetic.  75 

shewed  the  present  activity  of  the  enemy  in  coun- 
teracting by  the  sowing  of  error.  In  the  Vineyard 
Labourers,  He  illustrated  the  motives  for  religious 
work — some  entering  in  for  the  sake  of  the  bargain 
made;  others  in  simple  trust.  At  the  same  time, 
these  features  are  true  in  every  period  of  the  history 
of  the  progress  of  the  Lord's  kingdom.  They  are 
prophetic  of  how  men  will  always  act. 

Features  of  Partial  Failure  and  Mixture. 

Amongst  many,  probably  the  majority,  is  the 
idea  that  the  world  is  being  gradually  brought  to 
Christ's  feet  by  the  process  of  the  preaching  of  the 
Gospel,  and  that  the  only  kingdom  spoken  of  is  a 
spiritual  kingdom,  which  will  affect  the  general 
well-being  and  alter  the  condition  of  things  grad- 
ually, until  the  era  of  the  millennium,  or  the  golden 
age,  shall  be  reached.  If  the  idea  be  correct,  is  there 
anything  in  the  Lord's  parables  to  prove  or  war- 
rant it?  Surely  He  will  give  some  hints  of  such  a 
process,  if  it  be  His  method  of  establishing  His 
kingdom.  Let  us  examine  some  of  these  parables 
again,  to  observe  what  He  does  say.  He  indicates 
first  partial  failure,  and  not  universal  success.  In 
the  first  parable  of  the  Sower,  He  shews  that  the 
seed  fails  from  three  causes,  namely,  no  soil,  no 
root,  no  room;  and  that  only  a  small  portion  yields 


76  The  Parables — Photographic  and  Prophetic. 

a  crop,  though  that  crop  is  a  large  one  in  propor- 
tion to  the  amount  sown.  In  the  second,  that  of  the 
Wheat  and  Tares,  a  large  portion  of  the  field  is 
occupied  with  what  the  enemy  sowed,  and  there- 
fore, by  so  much,  the  yield  is  injuriously  affected. 
The  active  opposition  of  Satan  is  as  great  a  factor 
in  non-success  as  the  normal  condition  of  human 
hearts.  In  the  Mustard  Seed  is  suggested  abnormal 
growth,  so  that  the  herb  which  had  as  its  original 
function  that  of  bearing  seed,  fails  to  do  so,  and 
becomes  a  tree  which  cannot  bear  any  fruit.  It  sug- 
gests, therefori^e  the  abnormal  development  of  a 
system  of  so-called  Christianity  from  what  Christ 
originally  sowed,  which  has  failed,  and  is  failing, 
altogether,  in  its  original  purpose;  so  that  instead 
of  the  world  being  fully  evangelized  and  enlight- 
ened, more  than  two-thirds  of  its  population  in  our 
own  time  have  never  heard  the  sound  of  the  Gospel, 
and  CANNOT  hear  it  ;  simply  because  the  professing 
Church  of  God  fails  to  understand  its  responsibili- 
ties. Then  in  the  parable  of  the  Leaven,  the  pres- 
ence of  the  leaven  converts  the  meal  into  another 
substance.  The  three  measures  may  suggest  to 
us  the  doctrine  of  the  Trinity,  which  is  everywhere 
leavened  with  the  threefold  error  of — first,  the  uni- 
versal Fatherhood  of  God;  second,  the  non-aton- 
ing death  of  Christ  and  the  doubt  of  His  Deity; 


The  Parables — Photographic  and  Prophetic,  jy 

third,  the  denial  of  the  Personality  of  the  Holy 
Spirit.  No  section  of  the  Church  now  can  be  found 
to  maintain  the  purity  of  doctrine;  only  individuals 
here  and  there  are  doing  so. 

In  the  parable  of  the  Unforgiving  Servant  is  por- 
trayed the  failure  in  spirit  and  inner  motive,  and  is 
a  picture  of  the  business  practice  of  Christendom 
of  today.  Two  men  both  profess  to  be  Christians, 
and  attend  the  same  place  of  worship.  Both  ack- 
nowledge the  same  Lord;  both  pray,  "Have  mercy 
on  us — miserable  sinners/'  But  on  the  Monday, 
if  the  one  finds  that  the  other  is  owing  him  money, 
he  puts  the  law  rigorously  in  force  to  obtain  pay- 
ment, although  the  debtor  pleads  that  mercy  be 
shewn  him,  even  as  the  creditor  has  himself  prayed 
for,  and  obtained,  mercy  of  Another  greater  than 
either  of  them.  Christian  principle  finds  no  place 
for  its  exercise  in  the  business  and  commerce  of  so- 
called  Christian  men. 

Again,  in  the  parable  of  the  Labourers  in  the 
Vineyard,  there  is  found  failure  to  perceive  the  Em- 
ployer's sovereignty  in  the  matter  of  payment  as 
He  chooses.  Here  may  there  not  be  a  picture  of 
the  religious  practice  of  Christendom?  So  many 
will  practise  religion  for  the  immediate  benefit  it 
gives  in  social  position  and  respectability.  They 
have  their  reward.     But  another  section  practice 


78  The  Parables — Photographic  and  Prophetic. 

their  religion  from  another  motive,  namely, 
faith  in  the  Person  who  has  employed  them.  Such 
get  the  same  outward  reward,  but  more.  To  the 
first  set  is  said,  "Go  thy  way,"  implying,  I  have  no 
further  need  of  your  services.  Not  so  with  those 
who  went  to  work  on  faith.  They  will  be  wanted 
for  higher  service  elsewhere.  In  the  parable  of 
the  Ten  Virgins  is  taught  failure  in  watchfulness 
and  in  possession  of  the  oil ;  and  in  the  parable  of  the 
Talents,  failure  in  diligence.  In  short,  in  no  case 
is  there  a  picture  of  success  and  victory. 

The  element  of  Mixture,  too,  is  equally  import- 
ant. Tares  are  mixed  with  wheat;  leaven  with 
meal ;  good  and  bad  fish  have  to  be  separated ;  there 
are  contented  and  discontented  servants  working 
together;  there  are  guests  with  and  without  the 
necessary  wedding  garments,  sitting  side  by  side; 
there  are  sleeping  virgins  with  and  without  oil,  all 
together,  and  not  till  the  crisis  of  the  Master's  ap- 
pearance takes  place  does  separation  ensue.  In  fact, 
He  Himself  said,  concerning  the  tares  and  wheat, 
"Let  both  grozv  together  till  the  harvest,  and  then 
I  will  say  to  the  reapers.  Gather  the  tares  together 
to  hum  them,  hut  gather  the  wheat  into  My  ham." 

He  did  not  foretell  the  world  converted  or  sub- 
dued by  the  process  of  evangelizing,  but  He  did 
foretell  that,  besides  the  real  results  of  evangelizing, 


The  Parables — Photographic  and  Prophetic.  79 

there  would  be  the  production  of  the  imitation  of  the 
true,  and  the  impossibility  of  any  severance  till  au- 
thorized by  Himself.  Every  effort  has  failed  to 
purify  the  Church ;  and  the  condition  of  affairs, 
throughout  the  world,  with  the  rapid  increase  of 
the  heathen  populations,  should  make  men  pause 
and  think  ere  they  give  utterance  to  positive  state- 
ments as  to  the  conversion  of  the  world  to  Christ. 
True,  materially,  things  are  improving  rapidly : 
sanitary  science,  medical  science,  labour-saving  ma- 
chinery, improved  means  of  communication,  the  in- 
terchange of  ideas  by  all  the  nations — all  these 
things  are  causing  rapid,  momentous  and  beneficial 
changes  to  take  place ;  but  this  is  not  the  spreading 
of  the  kingdom  of  God.  It  is  the  march  of  civiliza- 
tion, permitted,  no  doubt,  by  Divine  wisdom  and 
grace,  but,  all  the  while,  the  King  is  absent,  and 
ignored  by  many,  whilst  the  vaster  multitudes  are 
ignorant  of  His  existence,  to  say  nothing  of  their 
ignorance  of  His  redeeming  love.  Looking  all 
down  the  centuries,  we  can  clearly  see  how  prophetic 
were  these  utterances,  and  how  profoundly  import- 
ant they  are  for  the  careful  student  of  the  Word 
of  God,  that  he  may  know  the  times  in  which  he  is 
living. 

The  nominal  Christian  will  be  found  to  be  rep- 
resented in  the  following  ways : 


8o  The  Parables — Photographic  and  Prophetic. 

1.  As  a  rocky  ground  hearer,  and  as  a  thorny 
ground  hearer. 

2.  As  tares  Imitating  the  outward  appearance, 
but  producing  no  fruit. 

3.  As  bad  fish,  to  be  thrown  away. 

4.  As  the  unforgiving  servant,  and  harsh  to- 
wards his  fellow-servants. 

5.  As  the  grumbling  day-labourer,  resenting  the 
treatment  meted  out  to  his  supposed  Inferiors. 

6.  As  the  self-righteous  man,  without  the 
wedding  garment,  needing  no  provision  of  God  to 
prepare  him  for  admission  Into  His  presence. 

7.  As  sleeping  ones  unprovided  with  the  neces- 
sary oil;  Indifferent  to  the  surrounding  circum- 
stances, and  not  possessing  the  Holy  Spirit. 

8.  As  possessing  a  talent  given  by  the  Lord,  but 
buried  In  the  world,  and  never  recognized  as  his 
Lord's  at  all,  and  therefore  denying  practically  all 
responsibility. 

9.  As  the  goats,  in  antagonism,  and  found  at 
last  on  the  left  hand,  to  be  sentenced  to  doom. 

The  true  Christian  can  be  depicted  by  taking  up 
the  characters  on  the  other  side  in  the  parables. 

One  other  fact  of  importance  must  be  noticed  in 
conclusion.  There  are  the  two  parables  of  the  Mus- 
tard Seed  and  the  Leaven,  which  are  given  by  St, 


The  Parables — Photographic  and  Prophetic.  8i 

Matthew  and  St.  Luke.  The  former  introduces 
them  as  ''kingdom  of  heaven"  parables,  the  latter  as 
"kingdom  of  God"  parables.  This  produces  a  cer- 
tain amount  of  difficulty  in  their  interpretation,  if 
we  pursue  the  principles  of  interpretation  laid  down. 

Much  controversy  has  arisen  as  to  the  meaning 
of  Leaven,  which  most  assert  is  never  used  of  any- 
thing but  what  is  evil.  Others,  on  the  other  hand, 
say  that  in  these  parables  there  is  the  one  excep- 
tion, and  that  it  here  represents  the  silent,  secret 
permeation  of  the  world  with  the  Gospel.  In  the 
first  place,  meal  is  never  used  as  typical  of  the 
world.  Then,  again,  the  significance  of  a  woman 
being  the  one  to  introduce  it  must  not  be  overlooked. 
She  is  generally  typical  of  either  the  true  or  the 
professing  Church.  The  solution  to  the  difficulty 
may  lie  in  this  direction,  that  the  parables,  being 
given  evidently  on  two  different  occasions,  and 
under  different  circumstances,  are  capable  of  two 
distinct  interpretations. 

In  the  first  case,  they  form  part  of  a  series  in 
which  the  Lord  is  revealing  the  history  of  the  pro- 
fessing Church  on  earth,  and  therefore  in  St. 
Matthew's  Gospel  it  seems  right  to  make  the  mus- 
tard seed  represent  abnormal  growth  never  in- 
tended, and  the  leaven  the  symbol  of  the  working 
of  error  in  doctrine. 


82  The  Parables — Photographic  and  Prophetic. 

In  St.  Luke's  Gospel,  however,  we  may  draw 
quite  another  set  of  ideas  from  them.  The  occa- 
sion of  their  deHvery,  then,  was  after  the  heahng 
of  the  woman  in  the  synagogue,  afflicted  with  spinal 
trouble  for  eighteen  years,  and  suddenly  cured 
(chap,  xiii.)  The  greatest  fault  was  found  with 
the  Lord  by  the  ruler  of  the  synagogue,  and  he  re- 
quested that  people  would  not  come  on  the  Sabbath- 
day  to  be  healed.  Then  the  Lord,  in  reply  and  ex- 
planation, pointed  out  that  what  had  taken  place 
was  the  working  of  the  kingdom  of  God.  Bearing 
in  mind  the  definition  already  made,  namely,  that 
the  kingdom  of  God  is  ''Righteousness,  Peace,  and 
Joy  in  the  Holy  Ghost,"  He  points  out  that  what 
has  taken  place  in  this  poor  woman  has  been,  first, 
a  remarkable  and  unexpected  growth  of  life  and 
power,  Hke  that  of  the  mustard  seed,  and  that  also 
she  has  been  quickly  and  quietly  infused  with  a 
secret  life  and  blessing  in  spirit,  soul  and  body,  as 
leaven  permeates  three  measures  of  meal.  She  has 
received  that  touch  of  His  justifying  power,  and 
been  delivered  from  the  power  of  Satan.  Peace 
with  God  has  taken  the  place  of  gloom  and  depres- 
sion, while  she  has  been  so  filled  with  joy  that  she 
has  glorified  God. 

It  seems  that  we  may  let  both  applications  of  the 
parables  stand,  for  both  are  true;  only  the  leaven 


The  Parables — Photographic  and  Prophetic.  83 

does  not  refer  to  the  Gospel,  but  to  the  power  of 
the  truth,  as  spoken  by  the  Lord,  dominating  a 
human  being,  and  transforming  her  throughout. 

The  great  missionary  parable  is  that  of  Matt, 
xxii.,  where  the  servants  are  sent  out  into  the  high- 
ways and  byways  to  compel  all  whom  they  can  to 
come  in.  We  a.re  living  in  that  ninth  verse,  and 
must  see  to  it  that  we  so  understand  our  Lord's 
teachings  as  to  be  obedient  and  active  where  He 
has  commanded. 

Footnote. — It  is  not  the  purpose  in  this  book  to  enter  into  a  de- 
tailed exposition  of  the  Parables  of  this  Gospel.  Those  who  desire 
something  more  exhaustive,  would  do  well  to  consult  a  new  book 
lately  published,  entitled,  "The  Study  of  the  Parables,"  by  Ada 
Habershon,  and  to  be  obtained  from  C.  C.  Cook,  150  Nassau  Street, 
New  York.     Price,  $1.50. 


Chapter  V. 
ST.  MARK:  THE  SERVANT. 

His  Character,  Conduct,  and  the  Treatment 
He  Received. 

"Behold   My   Servant,   whom  I   uphold;  Mine  elect,   in  whom  My 
soul  delighteth." — Isa.  xlii.  i. 

The  Author. 

''  I  ^HE  writer  of  this  Gospel  had  two  names — 
-■-  John,  his  Jewish  name,  and  Mark  (or 
Marcus),  his  Latin  name.  He  was  the  son  of  a 
Jewish  matron  named  Mary,  who  Hved  in  Jeru- 
salem. His  cousin  was  Barnabas,  who  lived  in  the 
island  of  Cyprus.  The  apostle  Peter  had  been  the 
means  of  his.  conversion  to  the  faith  of  Christ,  for 
he  calls  him  "Marcus  my  son"  in  i  Pet.  v.  13.  It 
was  in  his  mother's  house  that  the  all-night  prayer- 
meeting  was  being  held  for  his  beloved  friend  Peter 
when  lying  in  prison  under  sentence  of  death  (Acts 
xii).  It  was,  therefore,  perfectly  natural  that  the 
apostle  should  make  his  way  there  immediately  upon 
his  deliverance  from  prison. 

Mark  accompanied  Paul  and  Barnabas  on  their 

84 


St.  Mark:  The  Servant.  85 

departure  to  Antioch  (Acts  xii.  25).  He  went  with 
them  on  their  first  missionary  journey  to  the 
heathen  (xiii.  5)  ;  but  left  them  at  Perga  (xiii.  3), 
probably  finding  it  impossible  to  keep  pace  with 
that  tireless  and  indomitable  man  Paul.  Later, 
when  Barnabas  wanted  again  to  take  his  cousin  on 
their  second  journey,  Paul  would  not  hear  of  it 
(Acts  XV.  8).  This  so  annoyed  Barnabas,  that  he 
took  him  off  to  Cyprus,  leaving  Paul  to  choose  some 
other  companion,  namely,  Silas.  But  Mark  recov- 
ered his  lost  position  as  a  Foreign  Missionary,  for 
in  Col.  iv.  10,  II,  we  find  him  back  at  Paul's  side 
in  Rome,  and  called  his  fellow-labourer,  and  also 
mentioned  by  Peter  as  having  been  with  him  in 
Babylon.  Then  he  is  mentioned  once  more  in 
2  Tim.  iv.  II,  when  Paul  asks  Timothy  to  bring 
him  along  with  him  to  Rome.  He  therefore  fully 
recovered  his  original  place  in  the  love  and  esteem 
of  the  great  apostle,  and  the  record  is  given  us,  no 
doubt,  to  encourage  and  cheer  those  who,  at  the 
first  attempt  at  difficult  and  trying  work,  fail. 

His  Gospel  was  probably  written  at  Peter's  dicta- 
tion, and  in  Rome,  and  was  chiefly  designed  to 
help  the  Roman  Christians.  There  is  great  similar- 
ity in  the  opening  of  the  Gospel  with  the  opening 
words  of  Peter's  address  to  CorneHus'  household, 
in  Acts  X.     Compare  the  two. 


86  St.  Mark:  The  Servant. 

Characteristic   Features. 

There  is  a  marked  omission  of  all  references  to 
Jewish  law.  Words  are  explained  that  would  not 
be  understood  by  Roman  readers,  such  as 
Boanerges,  Talitha  cumi,  Bartimeus,  Abba  Father, 
Eloi,  Eloi,  lama  sabachthani.  The  two  mites  are  said 
to  make  a  farthing,  and  Gehenna  is  explained  as 
fire  unquenchable. 

Jewish  customs  are  explained,  such  as  washing 
hands  before  meals,  time  for  Passover  celebra- 
tion, the  preparation  day  being  for  the  Sabbath. 

The  effect  on  the  crowds,  and  on  the  disciples, 
of  the  Lord's  words  and  actions  is  carefully  noted; 
see  such  passages  as  i.  22-27,  ii.  12;  also  vi.  57,  x. 
24.     Many  others  should  be  looked  up  and  noted. 

The  Lord's  human  personality  is  strongly  marked, 
as  in  such  words  as — He  sighed  deeply  (vii.  34), 
He  loved  him  (x.  21),  wondered  at  their  unbelief 
(vi.  2),  looked  with  anger  being  grieved  (iii.  5), 
reibuked  Peter  (viii.  33),  He  was  moved  with  in- 
dignation (x.  14),  was  hungry  (xi.  12),  rests 
(vi.  31),  and'  others. 

St.  Mark  is  very  circumstantial  as  to  position, 
gestures,  words,  and  describes  persons.  He  nar- 
rates numbers,  too,  mentioning  there  ,were  about 
two  thousand  swine,  that  the  disciples  were  sent  out 
two  and  two,  that  the  crowds  were  made  to  sit  down 


St.  Mark:  The  Servant.  87 

by  hundreds  and  by  fifties.  He  records  the  time  of 
day  when  events  happened,  such  as :  A  great  while 
before  day,  After  some  days.  It  being  now  eventide, 
It  was  the  third  hour.  He  is  vivid,  terse,  clear,  full 
of  detail,  full  of  emphasis,  accuraite.  He  portrays  a 
man  hard  at  work;  doing  what  He  says,  practising 
His  own  preaching,  praying  much,  sympathetic,  un- 
ostentatious— very  few  words,  but  much  work.  He 
is  the  Model  Servant. 

Retirement  After   Work. 

No  servant  of  any  repute  ever  waits  round  to 
hear  what  remarks  might  be  made  about  his  work. 
His  sole  business  is  to  please  his  master.  Notice, 
then,  the  occasions  of  the  Lord's  retirement : 

After  the  miracles  of  healing  at  the  close  of  the 
Sabbath,  He  retired  early  in  the  morning  for 
prayer,     i.  35. 

After  healing  the  leper,  He  was  without  in  desert 
places,     i.  45. 

He  withdrew  to  the  sea  after  the  outburst  of 
anger  through  the  healing  of  the  withered  hand, 
iii.  7-12. 

He  went  about  the  villages  teaching.  He  found 
village  work  much  more  successful  than  town  work, 
and  preferred  the  quiet,  unobtrusive  work  to  the 
more  public,    vi.  6. 


88  St.  Mark:  The  Servant 

"Come  apart  and  rest  awhile."  He  knew  the 
need  for  retirement  after  the  strain  of  much  work, 
vi.  31,  32. 

After  another  prolonged  conflict,  He  arose  and 
went  into  the  coasts  of  Tyre  and  Sidon.    vii.  24. 

After  healing  the  blind  man,  He  went  into  the 
villages,    vii.  2y. 

He  withdrew  to  the  Mount  of  Transfiguration, 
ix.  22. 

He  retired  to  Bethany  after  His  Temple  work. 
xi.  II. 

Every  evening  of  that  last  week  of  His  earthly 
ministry,  He  withdrew  to  the  quiet,  and  peace,  and 
sympathy  of  the  home  of  His  three  dear  friends  at 
Bethany,    xi.  19. 

The  keyword  is  straightway,  which  has  two 
other  English  renderings,  namely,  Forthwith  and 
Immediately.  In  the  Revised  Version,  the  word 
''Straightway"  has  been  uniformly  used,  and  will 
be  found  40  times.  Such  frequent  repetition  is  in 
order  to  impress  the  mind  with  the  rapidity,  accur- 
acy, and  value  of  such  a  servant,  so  unlike  any  ordi- 
nary earthly  servant.  Of  the  40  occurrences,  9  are 
in  connection  with  the  corresponding  activity  of 
the  enemy,  and  are  as  follows : 

The  demoniac  crying  out  in  the  synagogue  as 
soon  as  Jesus  entered.    Why?    Because  never  be- 


St.  Mark:  The  Servant.  89 

fore  had  any  one  filled  with  the  Holy  Spirit  en- 
tered that  building,  and  so  there  had  been  no  one 
to  antagonize,     i.  23. 

The  conspiracy  of  the  Pharisees  followed  imme- 
diately on  the  healing  of  the  withered  hand.    iii.  6. 

'Then  cometh  Satan,"  immediately  the  seed  has 
fallen.  By  a  little  gossip  and  ordinary  conversa- 
tion, how  quickly  the  seed  sown  in  a  sermon  is  dis- 
posed of,  within  twenty  yards  of  the  door  of  the 
place  of  worship!     iv.  15. 

The  demoniacs  met  the  Lord  immediately  He 
reached  the  other  side.  It  was  the  invasion  of  the 
devil's  peculiar  territory,  which  was  defended,   v.  2. 

The  rapid  carrying  out  of  the  cruel  design  for 
the  death  of  John  the  Baptist,    vi.  25-27. 

The  demon  immediately  tare  the  poor  child  he 
possessed,  when  he  came  into  the  presence  of  the 
Lord.    ix.  20. 

The  Council  was  held  without  delay  to  try  and 
condemn  the  Lord  after  the  arrest  by  the  band  of 
Judas.    XV.  I. 

The  Key  Verse  is  x.  45,  'The  Son  of  Man 
came  not  to  be  ministered  unto,  but  to  minister,  and 
to  give  His  life  a  ransom  for  many."  It  would  be 
the  fulfilling  of  the  great  prophecy  of  Isaiah  xlii. 
1-4  and  18. 

The  Introduction  is   characteristic,  inasmuch  as 


go  St.  Mark:  The  Servant. 

the  narrative  commences  with  the  words :  'The 
beginning  of  the  Gospel  of  Jesus  Christ  the  Son 
of  God."  At  once,  the  writer  introduces  the  fore- 
runner, and  in  so  doing,  gets  the  great  declaration 
of  the  character  of  the  Servant  of  God  in  the 
forefront,  namely,  ''Thou  art  My  beloved  Son,  in 
Thee  I  am  well  pleased/'  This  is  the  beginning  of 
the  Gospel  for  all  readers.  The  Son  of  God  has 
come:  has  come  from  God:  has  come  to  earth  to 
serve:  has  come  to  save.  If  God  is  well  pleased 
with  Him,  who  dare  be  displeased  ?  Yet  the  Gospel 
story  ends  with  the  displeasure  of  the  people  mani- 
fested in  the  shouts  of  Crucify  Him !  Crucify  Him ! 
and  this  in  spite  of  the  question,  "Why?  What 
evil  hath  He  done  ?" 

The  Divisions  and  Chapter  titles. 

The  Divisions  are  five: 

(a)     Preparation.    Chap.  i.  1-13. 

(h)     Ministry  in  Eastern  Galilee,    i.  14-vii.  23. 

(c)  Ministry   in   Northern   Galilee,     vii.   24- 

ix.  50. 

(d)  Ministry  in  Judea  and  Perea.    x.  1-31. 

(e)  Closing  scenes  and  Ascension,    x.  32-xvi. 

Chapter  Titles. 
The  chapters  are  so  full  of  incident,  and  move 
so  rapidly,  that  it  is  difficult  to  fix  on  chapter  titles, 


St.  Mark:  The  Servant.  91 

so  as  to  carry  out  the  idea  of  'The  Servant."  The 
following  arc  suggested  in  place  of  any  better, 
though  it  would  be  wiser  for  all  readers  to  make 
their  own  titles,  rather  than  adopt  another's  offhand : 

I.  Servant  introduced  to  work. 

II.  Sick  of  the  Palsy. 

III.  Withered  Hand. 

IV.  Sowing  and  'Groaning. 

V.  Subduing  Disease,  Demons,  Death. 

VI.  Sent,  Slain,  Satisfied,  Stilled. 

VII.  "Ephphatha!" 

VIII.  "As  trees  walking!" 

IX.  Transfiguration. 

X.  Entering  the  kingdom  of  God. 

XL  Entering  Jerusalem. 

XII.  Question  and  Answer. 

XIII.  Prophecy. 

XIV.  Gethsemane. 

XV.     Despised  and  Rejected. 
XVI.     Risen  and  Ascended, 

The  Ministry  of  the  Hand. 

A  SERVANT  IS  VALUED  according  to  the  skill  in 
the  work  he  has  to  do.  There  will  be  prominence 
given  to  the  ministry  of  His  hands,  as  seen  in  the 
following  passages: 

He  took  her  by  the  hand,  and  the  fever  left  her. 

i.31. 

He  put  forth  His  hand  and  touched  the  leper,  i.  41. 
The  prayer  of  Jairus  w^as  that  He  would  come 


92  St.  Mark:  The  Servant. 

and  lay  His  hand  upon  his  dying  child,  and  she 
would  recover,    v.  33. 

He  took  the  damsel  by  the  hand:  doing  exactly 
what  He  had  been  asked  to  do,  with  the  result  fol- 
lowing that  was  anticipated,     v.  41. 

The  deaf  man  was  brought  to  Jesus,  and  his 
friends  beseech  Him  to  put  His  hands  on  him.  They 
have  made  the  discovery  of  the  power  in  those 
hands,     vii.  32. 

He  put  His  fingers  into  his  ears,  and  touched  his 
tongue.  The  Lord  always  loved  to  identify  Himself 
with  the  actual  cause  of  trouble  and  show  how 
fully  He  understood  the  trouble  and  sympathized 
with  the  sufferer,    vii.  33. 

The  blind  man  was  brought  also  by  his  friends, 
who  requested  Jesus  to  touch  him.  The  Lord  took 
him  by  the  hand  first,  to  lead  him  away  from  his 
friends  and  have  him  alone.  Then  He  put  His  hands 
upon  him,  a  first  and  a  second  time,  till  his  vision 
was  clear,    viii.  22-25. 

The  little,  demon-possessed  boy  brought  by  his 
father  was  hurled  to  the  ground  by  the  demon,  as 
Jesus  commanded  him  to  leave.  Then,  as  the  child 
lay  unconscious  upon  the  ground,  Jesus,  with  infin- 
ite compassion,  took  him  by  the  hand  and  lifted 
him  up.  ix.  27. 

He  took  a  child,  and  when  He  had  taken  him  in 


St.  Mark:  The  Servant.  93 

His  arms,  He  made  use  of  him  as  an  object-lesson 
for  the  disciples,    ix.  3-36. 

He  healed  the  withered  hand,  and  enabled  the  man 
to  work  again,     iii.  5. 

One  poor  woman  said,  "If  I  may  but  touch  the 
hem  of  His  garment."  The  use  of  His  hands  to- 
wards the  needy  made  some  wish  to  use  their  hands 
towards  Him.     v.  28. 

If  they  might  but  touch,  if  it  were  but  the  border 
of  His  garments.  His  outstretched  hand  and  their 
outstretched  hands !  Thus  does  the  hand  of  the 
Saviour  meet  the  fevered,  leprous,  dead,  shrunken 
hand  of  the  sinner,  aiud  there  is  life  and  health  im- 
mediately,    vi.  56.     ''Behold  My  Servant T 

It  will  be  noticed  that  there  are  only  four  par- 
ables in  this  Gospel,  for  a  servant  is  not  necessarily 
a  teacher.  Of  these,  one  only  is  found  peculiar  to 
the  Gospel — that  of  iv.  25-29.  It  is  characteristic  of 
the  portrait  of  the  Servant,  for  the  Man  who  sows 
the  seed  does  his  work  faithfully,  and  goes  away, 
leaving  all  results  to  God,  until  the  time  of  harvest 
shall  come  round.  This  is  all  any  servant  can  do. 
This  is  what  Jesus  did.  It  also  suggests  the  silent, 
secret  watchfulness  of  God  over  the  world,  and  over 
His  Word  in  it.  The  other  three  are  the  parables  of 
the  Sower,  Mustard  Seed,  and  Unfaithful  Husband- 
men of  the  Vineyard. 


94  St.  Mark:  The  Servant. 

How  WAS  He  Treated? 

Will  not  such  a  servant^  with  such  wonderful 
powers  of  service,  be  welcomed  and  valued  ?  Alas ! 
no.  Man's  thoughts  are  not  as  God's  thoughts. 
"They  will  reverence  my  son/'  said  the  father  in 
the  parable  of  the  Vineyard,  but  they  cast  Him  out 
and  slew  Him.     See  how  St.  Mark  describes  this : 

They  took  counsel  how  they  might  destroy  Him. 
iii.  6. 

They  began  to  pray  Him  to  depart  out  of  their 
coasts.     V.  17. 

They  laughed  Him  to  scorn,    v.  40. 

Is  not  this  the  carpenter,  the  son  of  Mary  ?  And 
they  were  offended  in  Him.  vi.  3.  His  lowly  estate 
hid  from  their  eyes  His  true  position  as  the  One 
who  had  taken  upon  Him  the  form  of  a  servant,  and 
was  found  in  fashion  as  a  man. 

They  began  to  question  Him — or  tempting  Him, 
as  the  R.  V.  puts  it,  showing  that  the  form  of  ques- 
tioning was  not  inquiry,  but  opposition,    viii.  1 1. 

They  sought  how  they  might  destroy  Him.  xi.  18. 

Sought  to  lay  hold  of  Him.  xii.  12. 

Sought  how  they  might  take  Him  by  craft,  and 
kill  Him.  xiv.  i. 

Judas  Iscariot  went  away  unto  the  chief  priests, 
that  he  might  deliver  Him  unto  them — sought  how 
he  might  conveniently  deliver  Him.     xiv.  10. 


St.  Mark:  The  Servant.  95 

Judas  came  to  Him  and  kissed  Him.  xiv.  45. 

They  laid  hands  on  Him  and  took  Him.    xiv.  46. 

The  chief  priests  and  the  whole  council  sought 
witness  against  Jesus  to  put  Him  to  death,    xiv.  56. 

Many  bare  false  witness  against  Him.     xiv.  56. 

Then  stood  up  certain,  and  bare  false  witness 
against  Him.     xiv.  57. 

They  all  condemned  Him  to  be  worthy  of  death, 
xiv.  64. 

Some  of  them  began  to  spit  upon  Him,  and  to 
cover  His  face,  and  to  buffet  Him.  The  officers  re- 
ceived Him  with  the  blows  of  their  hands.  In  the 
margin,  this  will  be  found  as  ''strokes  of  rods." 
xiv.  65.  It  would  seem,  therefore,  that,  in  the  high 
priest's  house,  the  Lord  was  beaten  on  the  face  with 
rods.  This  would  fulfil — "His  visage  was  more 
marred  than  any  man's."  It  was  an  awful  infliction, 
and  agonizing  in  the  extreme;  and  this  was 
Jehovah's  Servant,  who  had  done  such  works  of 
healing  and  mercy,  as  was  so  well  known. 

They  bound  Jesus  and  carried  Him  away,  and 
delivered  Him  up  to  Pilate,     xv.  i. 

The  chief  priests  accused  Him  of  many  things. 
XV.  3. 

The  chief  priests  stirred  up  the  multitude  that  he 
should  rather  release  Barabbas  unto  them.    xv.  11. 

They  cried  out,  "Crucify  Him!"    xv.  13. 


96  St.  Mark:  The  Servant. 

They  cried  out  exceedingly,  "Crucify  Him!" 
XV.  14. 

He  delivered  Jesus,  when  he  had  scourged  Him, 
to  be  crucified,  xv.  15.  This  was  the  second 
scourging,  by  Roman  soldiers,  on  the  back,  with  the 
awful  scourges,  which  were  lashes  with  bits  of  sharp 
metal^nterwoven.  *T  gave  my  back  to  the  smiters ;'' 
**His  form  was  more  marred  than  the  sons  of  men." 

They  clothe  Him  with  purple,  and  plaiting  a  crown 
of  thorns,  they  put  it  on  Him.    xv.  17. 

They  began  to  salute  Him — "Hail !  King  of  the 
Jews."    XV.  18. 

They  smote  His  head  with  a  reed,  and  did  spit 
upon  Him,  and  bowing  the  knees,  they  worshipped. 
XV.  19. 

They  mocked  Him.  They  lead  Him  out  to  crucify 
Him.    XV.  20. 

They  offered  Him  wine,  mingled  with  myrrh. 
XV.  23. 

They  crucify  Him,  and  part  His  garments  ajnong 
them.    XV.  24. 

They  that  passed  by,  railed  on  Him,  wagging 
their  heads,  and  saying,  "Ha!  thou  that  destroyest 
the  temple  and  buildest  it  in  three  days,  save  thyself 
and  come  down  from  the  cross."    xv.  29,  30. 

In  like  manner,  the  chief  priests,  mocking  Him 


St.  Mark:  The  Servant.  97 

among  themselves,  with  the  scribes,  said,  "He  saved 
others   .    .    .    ."    xv.  31. 

They  that  were  crucified  with  Him,  reproached 
Him.    XV.  33. 

One  ran,  and,  filHng  a  sponge  full  of  vinegar, 
put  it  on  a  reed,  and  gave  Him  to  drink,  saying, 
"Let  be;  let  us  see  whether  Elijah  cometh  to  take 
Him  down."    xv.  36. 

This  was  the  last  offering  from  man  to  his  Saviour 
— some  vinegar.  And  how  much  vinegar  of  scorn 
and  unbelief  has  since  been  offered  Him  by  human 
hearts  that  have  equally  scorned  and  rejected  Him! 
Thus  was  God's  servant  treated :  but  God  has  highly 
exalted  Him,  and  given  Him  the  name  above  every 
name,  even  the  name  of  Jesus.  Over  every  page 
of  this  Gospel  may  be  written,  ''Behold  My  Serv- 
ant T 

MY  LORD  AND  I. 


I  have  a  friend  so  precious, 

So  very  dear  to  me, 
He  loves  me  with  a  tender  love, 

He   loves  so    faithfully, 
I  could  not  live  apart  from  Him, 

I  love  to  feel  Him  nigh — 
And  so  we  dwell  together. 

My  Lord  and  I. 


98  St.  Mark:  The  Servant. 

Sometimes  I'm  faint  and  weary 

He  knows  that  I  am  weak, 
And  as  He  bids  me  lean  on  Him, 

His  help  I'll  gladly  seek; 
He  leads  me  in  the  path  of  light, 

Beneath  a  sunny  sky — 
And  so  we  walk  together, 

My  Lord  and  I. 

He  knows  how  much  I  love  Him. 

He  knows  I  love  Him  well: 
But  with  what  love  He  loveth  me. 

My  tongue  can  never  tell; 
It  is  an  everlasting  love. 

In  every   rich  supply — 
And  so  we  love  together. 

My  Lord  and  I. 

I  tell  Him  all  my  sorrows, 

I  tell  Him  all  my  joys, 
I   tell   Him   all   that   pleases  me, 

I  tell  Him  what  annoys; 
He  tells  me  what  I  ought  to  do, 

He  tells  me  what  to  try, — 
And  so  we  talk  together, 

My  Lord  and  I. 

He  knows  how  I  am  longing, 

Some  weary  soul  to  win, 
And  so  He  bids  me  go  and  speak, 

A  loving  word  for  Him; 
He  bids  me  tell  His  wondrous  love, 

And  how  He  came  to  die — 
And  so  we  work  together, 

My  Lord  and  I. 

Mrs.  L.  Shorey. 


Chapter  VI. 
ST.  MARK:    THE  SERVANT. 

The  Servant  at  Work. 

''  I  ""HREE  features  rim  through  the  four  gospels 
^  — The  Work  of  the  Lord  by  Prayer,  by  His 
Word,  by  His  Hand,  The  details  of  the  first  of  the 
three  will  be  more  particularly  found  in  St.  Luke. 
The  other  two  we  shall  gather  up  from  the  four 
gospels.  The  work  of  His  Hps  and  hand  are  gen- 
erally called  miracles.  What  is  miracle?  It  is  a 
sign  that  the  words  spoken  are  true,  and  that  though 
what  was  said  was  contrary  to  human  experience, 
none  the  less  it  has  become  fact.  Hume,  the  great 
writer,  said  that  miracle  was  contrary  to  experience. 
This  is  very  likely,  since  "My  ways  are  not  your 
ways,  saith  the  Lord."  Some  one  has  said  that 
"prophecy  is  a  miracle  in  words,  and  that  miracle 
is  a  prophecy  in  action." 

Miracles  were  wrought  to  attest  the  truth  of  His 
words,  and  in  response  to  faith;  not  to  produce  faith. 
Thus :  "I  will,  be  thou  clean"'  were  the  words  He 
uttered  to  the  leper ;  they  were  a  prophecy,  and  they 
came  to  pass,  contrary  to  the  ordinary  human  ex- 
perience.    To  the  sick  of  the  palsy,  the  Lord  said, 

99 


loo  St.  Mark:  The  Servant  at  Work. 

"Son,  thy  sins  are  forgiven  thee."  There  was  no 
proof  of  any  power  being  in  those  words,  till  He 
added,  "Rise,  take  up  thy  bed  and  walk."  The  man 
doing  so  was  the  sign  that  the  words  spoken  were 
true,  and  that  he  was  not  only  a  healed  man,  but  a 
forgiven  man — the  miracle  was  a  prophecy  in  ac- 
tion. 

Miracles  must  not  be  a  useless  display  of  super- 
natural power,  but  must  touch  the  enemies  of  man- 
kind when  man  himself  is  powerless  against  them. 

Miracles  draw  a  crowd.  The  Lord  always  shunned 
a  crowd,  and  withdrew  Himself.  Why?  Because 
He  knew  that  the  crowd  would  worship  the  power, 
and  not  the  God  behind  the  power.  Miracles  are 
signs  of  some  one  behind  and  beyond,  namely,  the 
Living  God. 

The  Lord  always  refused  to  work  a  miracle  or 
"show  a  sign"  in  order  to  induce  faith.  Through- 
out the  Gospels,  substitute  the  word  sign  for  the 
word  miracle,  and  the  value  of  the  act  wrought  will 
appear  more  manifest.  At  the  outset  of  His  min- 
istry. He  read  the  famous  passage  from  Isaiah  Ixi., 
describing  the  anointing  of  the  Spirit  for  His  great 
work  (Luke  iv.  i8,  19).  "The  Spirit  of  the  Lord 
is  upon  me,  because  he  hath  anointed  me  to  preach 
the  Gospel  to  the  poor ;  he  hath  sent  me  to  heal  the 
broken-hearted,   to  preach   deliverance  to  the  cap- 


St.  Mark:  The  Servant  at  Work.  loi 

lives,  and  recovering  of  sight  to  the  bhnd,  to  set 
at  Hberty  them  that  are  bruised,  to  preach  the 
acceptable  year  of  the  Lord."  That  anointing  re- 
mains, and  "He  is  the  same,  yesterday,  today,  and 
for  ever."     Therefore,  the  same 

RESULTS  ARE  TO   BE   EXPECTED 

in  the  spiritual  realm  of  need,  as  were  manifested  in 
the  physical. 

By  the  Spirit,  the  Lord  wrought  His  gracious 
works.  He  has  sent  that  Spirit  down  to  dwell  in 
the  individual  members  of  the  Church  of  God,  in 
order  that  He  may  fulfil  His  gracious  purposes,  and 
continue  the  ministry  of  help  and  life  to  the  needy. 
The  presence  of  the  Spirit  of  God  in  the  Church  of 
God  is  in  order  to  carry  on  the  work  of  Christ  on 
earth,  and  may  not  the  Lord's  words  in  John  xiv. 
12,  be  taken  to  apply  here?  The  promise  com- 
mences with  "Verily,  verily,  I  say  unto  you,  he 
THAT  believeth  ON  ME.""  There  is  the  emphatic 
Amen  of  Christ  to  call  attention  to  the  following 
declaration,  so  that  there  shall  be  no  passing  by  of 
the  statement  carelessly.  Then  the  great  condition 
of  the  promise,  "He  that  believeth  on  me/^  Here 
lies  our  trouble :  we  do  not  believe  the  Lord  means 
the  words,  "the  works  that  I  do  shall  he  do  also, 
and  greater  works  than  these  shall  he  do.'*    Hence 


102  St.  Mark:  The  Servant  at  Work. 

the  presentation  of  the  Gospel  lacks  the  assurance 
and  positiveness  that  should  command  attention  and 
faith.  The  Lord,  by  the  Spirit,  is  prepared  to  work 
effectively  through  the  worker  now  along*  the  line 
of  His  promise,  of  which  the  following  facts  are 
to  be  the  illustrations.  (We  do  not  propose  to  deal 
with  the  physical  healing  question,  either  in  denial 
or  affirmation,  but  to  confine  our  attention  exclusive- 
ly to  the  typical  teaching  of  healing). 

The  total  number  of  "signs"  of  all  kinds  nar- 
rated in  the  Gospels  is  34.  They  may  be  divided 
into  7  groups,  as  follows : 


I. 

Over  Satanic  power 

6  cases. 

2. 

Over  sicknesses 

16  cases,  10  varieties. 

3. 

Over  death  , 

3  cases. 

4. 

Over  sword-cut. 

I  case. 

5. 

Over  storms     . 

2  cases. 

6. 

In   connection  with 

food  supplies 

3  cases. 

7. 

In  connection   with 
fish      ...      . 

3  cases. 

St.  Matthew  has  two  peculiar  to  his  Gospel :  The 
two  Blind  Men  cured  (chap,  ix),  and  the  Tribute 
Money  (chap,  xvii.)  St.  Mark  has  also  two  pe- 
culiar :    The  Blind  Man  cured,  in  vii.,  and  the  Deaf 


St.  Mark:  The  Servant  at  Work.  103 

Mute,  in  viii.  St.  Luke  has  six  peculiar:  The 
Draught  of  Fishes,  in  v. ;  the  Raising  of  the  Widow 
of  Nain's  Son,  in  vii. ;  the  Heahng  of  the  Spinal 
Trouble,  in  xiii. ;  the  Cure  of  Dropsy,  in  xiv. ;  the 
Ten  Lepers,  in  xvii.,  and  the  Healing  of  Malchus' 
Ear,  in  xxii.  St.  John  has  six  pecuHar  to  his  Gospel : 
Water  made  Wine,  in  chap.  ii. ;  the  Raising  of  the 
Nobleman's  Son,  in  iv. ;  the  Impotent  Man  at  the 
Pool  of  Bethseda,  in  v.,  Lazarus  Raised  from  the 
Dead,  in  xi.,  and  the  Draught  of  Fishes,  in  xxi. 

Group  i. — Over  Satanic  Power. 

Demon- possession  zvas  a  not  uncommon  fact. 
Satan  antagonized  the  Lord  by  directly  controlling 
human  lives.  His  action  in  men  illustrates  the  en- 
mity of  sin.  Matthew  viii.  28-34  records  the  case  of 
the  two  Gadara  man,  dwelling  in  the  tombs.  This 
was  a  Satanic  invasion  of  the  home  life,  and  deliv- 
erance was  wrought  by  His  Word  of  power,  and  the 
men  went  home  blessed  of  God. 

Mark  i.  23-26  gives  the  account  of  a  synagogue 
case.  The  man  was  apparently  a  worshipper,  and 
may  never  have  disturbed  a  public  service  before, 
but  the  presence  of  the  Spirit  of  God  in  Jesus  roused 
him'  to  attack.  It  is  typical  of  Satanic  power  in  those 
attending  public  worship,  unsuspected,  and  hereto- 
fore undisturbed.    Why  is  there  no  similar  disturb- 


I04  St.  Mark:  The  Servant  at  Work. 

ance  now  ?  May  it  not  be  because  of  the  absence  of 
the  power  of  the  Spirit  in  the  worshippers,  who 
would  be  greatly  surprised,  if  not  scandalized,  by 
such  unseemly  interruptions ! 

In  Matthew  ix.  32-33 ;  xii.  22,  we  find  cases  in 
which  the  senses  of  seeing  and  hearing  are  affected, 
and  the  lips  are  consequently  silent.  We  are  re- 
minded of  2  Cor.  iv.  4,  "In  whom  the  God  of  this 
world  hath  blinded  the  minds  of  them  that  believe 
not."  Then  in  Matthew  xvii.  14-18,  and  xv.  21-28, 
are  the  cases  of  two  children,  a  boy  and  a  girl.  In 
the  former  case,  much  violence  accompanied  the 
demon-possession.  How  were  all  these  cases 
handled? — by  a  word  of  power  from  the  Lord.  He 
spoke  with  authority,  the  authority  of  the  Spirit- 
filled  life,  and  there  was  immediate  obedience  to  His 
Word.  So  striking  was  the  result,  that  the  people 
in  the  synagogue  (Mark  i.)  said,  "What  new  teach- 
ing is  this  ?"  It  was  so  utterly  unlike  anything  they 
were  accustomed  to  see  or  hear.  It  was  a  teaching 
followed  by  results  of  a  startling  and  permanent 
character — deliverance  from  the  power  of  Satan. 
And  now  come  two  questions :  First,  Are  we  sur- 
rounded by  men,  women  and  children  who  are 
equally  under  Satanic  power,  though  the  manifesta- 
tion of  it  may  be  different?  Second,  Have  we  au- 
thority to  deal  with  such 


St.  Mark:  The  Servant  at  Work.  105 

IN  THE  NAME  OF  THE  LORD  JESUS, 

risen,  and  exalted,  through  the  indwelUng  Holy 
Spirit?  If  we  have,  are  we  faithful  tO'  our  trust,  are 
we  using  "authority?"  Is  not  the  great  lack  today, 
power  to  command?  And  sometimes  while  we  are 
praying  the  Lord  to  save,  might  not  He  be  waiting 
for  us  to  claim  His  power,  and  speak  in  His  Name? 
He  gave  the  disciples  power  over  unclean  spirits 
(Matt.  X.  8)  as  proof  they  were  commissioned  by 
Him,  to  act  in  His  Name  and  on  His  behalf.  Much 
ministering  power  was  bestowed  upon  His  servants 
that  they  might  prove  the  authority  of  His  Name, 
while  absent  and  invisible.  He  added,  however,  in 
Mark  ix.  20,  a  significant  word,  "This  kind  can  come 
out  by  nothing  but  by  prayer  and  fasting.''  In  addi- 
tion to  the  detailed  cases  referred  to,  there  are  a 
number  of  general  statements  as  to  the  casting  out 
of  unclean  spirits,  such  as  Matthew  iv.  24,  Mark  i. 
34,  etc. 

It  must  not  be  forgotten,  moreover,  that  the  con- 
flict of  the  believer  now  is  described  in  Eph.  vi.  12, 
to  be  with  wicked  spirits  in  heavenly  places.  We  are 
called  tO'  this  war,  and  we  might  be  effective  in  its 
prosecution. 

Power  for  being  fellow-workers  with  God  depends 
on  two  things,  the  Infilling  of  the  Spirit,  and  Prayer. 
The  loss  of  the  power  to  handle  the  demon-possessed 


io6  St.  Mark:  The  Servant  at  Work. 

was  keenly  felt  by  the  disciples,  as  recorded  in  Mark 
ix.  29.  They  had  been  successful  when  sent  out  two 
and  two,  but  here  were  nine  of  them  together,  and 
unsuccessful.  The  power  had  left  them.  The  ex- 
planation may  be  found  in  the  words  of  verses  33 
and  34.  They  had  been  disputing  who  was  the 
greatest,  and  in  all  such  movings  of  the  pride  of 
the  human  heart,  divine  power  must  leave. 

The  blessed  Servant  of  Jehovah  was  always  meek 
and  lowly  in  heart,  always  filled  with  the  Spirit, 
always  in  prayer,  and,  therefore,  always  ready  to 
meet  and  deliver  any  oppressed  one.  The  Apostle 
Peter  speaks  of  Him,  in  Acts  x.  38,  "God  anointed 
Jesus  of  Nazareth  with  the  Holy  Ghost  and  with 
power,  who  went  about  doing  good,  and  healing 
all  who  were  oppressed  of  the  devil,  for  God  was 
with  Him." 

Group  2. — Over  Sicknesses. 

The  sixteen  cases  of  sickness  cured  may  be  di- 
vided into  ten  sections,  as  follows : 

Fever,  2  cases.  Leprosy,  2  cases.  Blindness,  4 
cases.  Palsy,  2  cases.  Dropsy,  i  case.  Deaf  and 
dumb,  I  case.  Withered  hand,  i  case.  Lameness, 
I  case.  Spinal  trouble,  i  case.  Issue  of  blood,  i 
case.  These  are  healed,  some  by  a  touch,  some  by  a 
word,  some  by  a  word  and  touch  combined.    In  every 


St.  Mark:  The  Servant  at  Work.  107 

case,  however,  there  was  faith  and  obedience  brought 
into  exercise,  either  on  the  part  of  the  case  for 
treatment,  or  of  the  friends  interceding.  **He  that 
beHeveth  m  Me"  is  still  the  condition  for  receiving 
His  blessing. 

The  typical  teaching  of  disease: 

Fever  represents  the  restlessness  of  Sin,  temper. 

Leprosy — The  corruption  of  Sin,  gross  habits  of 
Sin. 

Dropsy — ^Heart  trouble.    "I  cannot  love." 

Palsy — The  inability  and  unconsciousness  of  Sin. 
"I  cannot  feel." 

Lameness — Inability  to  follow,  backsliding  of  Sin. 
"I  cannot  walk  after  Christ." 

Blindness — The  ignorance  of  Sin.    *T  cannot  see." 

Dumbness — The  silence  of  Sin. 

Withered  Hand — The  powerlessness  of  Sin.  "I 
am  unable." 

Spinal  Trouble — The  bondage  and  depression  of 
Sin. 

Issue  of  Blood — The  defilement  and  enervation  of 
Sin. 

These  various  forms  of  sickness  are  typical  of 
the  various  forms  of  sin-sickness  in  human  hearts. 
The  pressure  of  the  need  assumes  different  forms, 
and  is  expressed  in  different  ways.  While  the  root 
trouble  throughout  is  sin,  the  manifestation  of  its 


io8  St.  Mark:  The  Servant  at  Work. 

presence  is  very  varied,  and  the  treatment  is  neces- 
sarily varied  also.  The  study  of  the  Lord's  methods 
of  healing  is  most  instructive  for  Christian  workers 
today.  His  conversation  with  the  sick  will  often 
be  found  to  be  His  message,  through  the  Holy 
Spirit,  to  those  who  are  conscious  of  the  sickness 
of  sin. 

In  dealing  with  people  individually,  therefore,  it 
is  of  great  importance  to  take  time  to 

DIAGNOSE   THE   CASE^ 

and  see  in  what  form  sin  is  making  itself  felt  to  their 
consciousness.  With  many,  there  is  a  definite  and 
specific  sense  of  need,  not  always  of  pardon,  but 
often  of  deliverance  from  some  phase  of  sin.  For 
instance,  one  hears  the  expression,  "I  cannot  see  this 
or  that.'^  The  trouble  is  blindness.  Or  it  may  be, 
'T  cannot  feel  anything."  This  is  palsy  or  paralysis. 
Or  again,  'T  have  tried  to  follow  Christ,  and  I 
cannot."  Lameness  is  here  the  trouble.  Certain 
overmastering  bad  habits  will  indicate  leprosy,  while 
dumbness  is  by  no  means  uncommon,  shewn  in  the 
refusal  to  confess  sin  to  the  Lord,  or  to  answer  a 
question,  or  to  confess  a  wrong  done  to  another. 
Cases  of  great  depression  are  by  no  means  uncom- 
mon. A  little  careful  enquiry  will  generally  shew 
some  bondage  of  habit  that  Satan  has  imposed,  from 
which  there  is  need  of  deliverance. 


St.  Mark:  The  Servant  at  Work.  109 

Let  us  first  be  quite  clear  in  our  own  minds  as  to 
how  far  we  personally  believe  and  expect  the  Lord  to 
act  now.  Do  we  think  He  can  suddenly  and  per- 
fectly remove  a  habit  such  as  temper?  or  that  He 
can  take  away  the  leprosy  of  lust  instantaneously? 
or  that  He  can  open  the  eyes  of  the  blind  as  quickly 
as  He  opened  the  eyes  of  Bartimeus  ?  And  then  let 
us  further  take  time  to  enquire  before  the  Lord 
whether  we  believe  He  has  given  us  the  Holy  Spirit 
in  power,  and  that  we  have  accepted  Him  in  order  to 
the  accomplishment,  by  Him,  through  us,  of  works 
of  mercy  and  deliverance.  Do  we  expect  gradual 
cures  of  habits  of  sin,  gradual  deliverances  from  the 
bondage  of  sin,  or  do  we  look  for  signs  of  His 
power,  and  immediate  salvation?  We  probably 
would  all  agree  as  to  pardon  for  all  sin  being 
granted:  why  not  then  expect  and  believe  for  the 
accompaniment  of  pardon,  namely,  deliverance  and 
healing  from  the  virus  and  poison  of  sin?  And 
if  we  know  it  experimentally,  may  we  not  proclaim 
it  as  the  "Gospel  of  our  Salvation,"  and  announce 
to  the  many  that  there  is  immediate,  wonderful, 
blessed  healing? 

Fever.  Carefully  study  the  cases  given  us:  "The 
fever  left  her,"  Mark  i.  31.  "The  fever  left  him," 
John  iv.  52.  How?  By  His  Word  commanding 
and  His  own  life  flowing  in.     Why  not  thus  have 


no  St.  Mark:  The  Servant  at  Work. 

temper  healed,  and  all  other  signs  of  a  fevered 
character  ?  It  is  interesting  to  note  that  in  this  first 
case  recorded,  the  Lord  was  present  and  touched; 
in  the  second,  many  miles  separated  Him  from  the 
boy  afflicted.  But  the  healing  is  instantaneous  in 
either  case,  "All  power  is  given  unto  Me  in  heaven 
and  on  earth." 

Leprosy.  This  disease  is  of  unique  importance, 
as  being  the  type,  in  Scripture,  of  the  utter  hopeless- 
ness of  sin.  The  disease  was  incurable  under  any 
treatment.  Only  God  could  heal,  and  that 
in  answer  to  prayer,  as  in  the  case  of  Miriam,  and 
of  Naaman  the  Syrian.  The  instances  of  healing, 
therefore,  are  specially  significant  of  the  mighty 
power  of  God. 

In  one  case,  He  touched,  saying,  'T  will,  be  thou 
clean,"  Matthew  viii.  3.  And  immediately  new  life 
went  coursing  through  the  man's  veins.  In  the 
other,  He  was  at  a  distance,  and  said,  ''Go,  shew 
yourselves  to  the  Priest,"  etc.,  Luke  xvii.  14,  and 
the  same  result  followed.  Faith  in  His  power  and 
will  was  manifested  in  the  attitude  taken  towards 
Him,  followed  by  prompt  obedience  to  His  com- 
mand. So  it  will  be  again.  Kindle  expectation  in 
the  willingness,  power,  and  purpose  of  the  Lord 
to  act  as  of  old,  and  many  a  man  and  woman,  now 
held  by  some  horrid,  vicious  power,  may  rise  eman- 


St.  Mark:  The  Servant  at  Work.  iii 

cipated.  We,  as  workers,  at  times  lack  the  courage 
of  faith  to  announce  the  Lord's  power,  and  love  to 
heal  instantaneously,  and  we  possibly  suggest 
prayer,  when  the  Lord  wants  obedience.  The  aim 
must  be  to  get  the  case  handled  to  this  attitude  of 
the  lepers,  namely,  at  Christ's  feet. 

In  the  study  of  the  case  of  the  leper,  in  Matthew 
viii.,  connect  the  action  of  the  man  with  some  of 
the  utterances  in  the  Sermon  on  the  Mount,  to  which 
he  vv^as  probably  an  unseen  listener,  and  trace  how  he 
might  have  been  stirred  to  act  as  he  did. 

The  Dropsy  case  (Luke  xiv.  2-4),  seems  to  be  a 
beautiful  illustration  of  the  Lord  leaving  a  memento 
of  a  visit  to  a  private  house,  one  Sabbath  day.  He 
was  not  very  welcome,  nor  was  He  much  trusted, 
but  that  has  no  effect  upon  His  loving  purposes.  If 
He  sees  a  needy  case.  He  will  deal  with  it,  and  He 
does.  Heart  trouble  is  very  common;  the  pulse  of 
love  beats  feebly  and  irregularly,  but 

A    WORD   FROM    HIM    WILL   CURE. 

The  presence  of  this  trouble  is  indicated  by  such 
words  as  'T  have  no  love,"  'T  have  so  little  love," 
''My  heart  is  so  cold."  Or  by  the  general  confes- 
sion in  the  week-night  prayer-meeting,  ''Lord,  we 
confess  that  we  do  not  love  Thee  as  we  ought."  The 
sad  fact  is  that  this  is  chronic.     It  is  impossible  to 


112  St.  Mark:  The  Servant  at  Work. 

generate  love  by  any  self-effort — it  must  be  "shed 
abroad  in  the  heart  by  the  Holy  Ghost." 

Blindness.  The  four  cases  of  Blindness  form 
a  very  remarkable  group  illustrating  four  distinct 
methods  of  imparting  blessing.  Matthew  ix.  27-31. 
Two  blind  men  followed  Him.  They  were  enquir- 
ers pleading.  Isaiah  Iv.  3.  "Thou  Son  of  David, 
have  mercy  upon  us."  They  must  have  heard  him, 
and  were  determined  to  have  a  'personal  interview, 
for  they  went  into  the  house.  Note  His  treatment 
of  them.  "Believe  ye  that  I  am  able  to  do  this?" 
"Yes,  Lord."  "According  to  your  faith  be  it  unto 
you."  He  was  the  "Amen"  to  their  "Yes."  See  2 
Cor.  i.  20,  R.  V.  In  dealing  with  enquirers  for 
light,  do  not  try  and  prove  anything,  but  draw 
the  attention  to  this  narrative,  point  out  the  simi- 
larity of  need,  and  the  Lord  will  again  give  the 
light.  He  can  touch  by  the  Holy  Spirit,  and  open 
the  eyes  of  the  heart.  Describing  how  things  look 
will  never  give  sight. 

Mark  viii.  22-26.  In  this  case,  they  bring  Him  a 
blind  man,  and  beseech  Him  to  touch.  Here  are 
Interested  Friends.  The  man  himself  may  be  re- 
luctant, or  non-expectant,  or  unwilling.  So  often, 
friends,  nowadays,  force  along  an  unwilling  soul, 
and  "try  to  get  him  saved."  The  Lord,  perfectly 
unders'tanding  the  surroundings  of  the  case,  takes 


St.  Mark:  The  Servant  at  Work.  113 

him  away  from  them  all,  and  Seals  with  him  alone. 
As  a  rule,  get  such  an  one  away  from  the  anxious 
friends  as  soon  as  possible ;  it  is  seldom  wise  to 
speak  to  a  man  before  his  wife,  or  to  a  child  before 
his  parents.  Either  they  may  chime  in  and  com- 
pletely spoil  all  you  have  said,  or,  after  you  have 
gone,  may  endeavor  to  "rub  it  in,"  to  the  efface- 
ment  of  any  impression  that  may  have  been  made. 

This  miracle  is  the  only  one  of  non-instantaneous 
results,  and  probably  for  a  good  reason,  to  teach 
us  patience  in  our  work,  and  to  show  how  at  first, 
in  some  cases,  there  is  distorted  vision,  exaggera- 
tion— men  appearing  like  trees.  He  will  touch  again, 
and  all  will  be  clear.  We  may  sometimes  have  taken 
too  little  trouble  to  clear  vision. 

Mark  x.  46-52.  Bartimeus  was  a  blind  beggar, 
who  started  out,  that  day,  to  his  usual  place,  with 
no  interest,  no  knowledge,  and  no  expectation  of 
anything  special  likely  to  happen  to  him.  But  sud- 
denly his  interest  is  awakened  by  the  unexpected 
passing  by  of  Jesus.  His  case  represents  sudden 
conviction  of  need  produced  by  the  unexpected 
presence  of  the  Lord  in  the  power  of  the  Holy 
Spirit.  His  cry  is  genuine,  his  faith  is  active,  but 
his  obedience  must  be  tested.  He  has  no  friends  to 
help  him,  so  two  disciples  are  despatched  to  lead 
him  to  the  Lord.    A  different  question  is  put  to  him 


114  ^^'  Mark:  The  Servant  at  Work. 

from  that  used  in  the  first  case,  "What  wilt  thou  that 
I  should  do  unto  thee?"  It  is  the  man  himself  who 
is  to  define  what  he  wants  and  expects.  Then 
comes  the  answer:  "Lord,  that  I  may  receive  my 
sight ;"  not,  "Lord,  give  me  a  blessing,"  that  vague, 
indefinite  word  that  is  so  commonly  lised,  and  often 
means  so  little.  A  definite  request  can  get  a  definite 
answer,  and  call  forth  a  definite  thanksgiving. 

But  note,  in  the  story,  a  detail,  very  suggestive. 
"He,  casting  away  his  garment,  came."  It  will  very 
commonly  be  found  that  there  is  a  specific  hindrance 
in  coming  to  Qirist  in  some  cases  that  have  to  be 
dealt  with.  The  will  may  long  have  determined  to 
hold  on  to  some  little  habit,  or  grudge,  or  purpose, 
and  this  may  have  to  be  sought  for  and  dealt  with 
before  the  sinner  can  be  led  to  Christ.  This  kind 
of  w^ork  cannot  be  hurried.  There  must  be  time 
taken  for  quietly  and  effectually  probing  into  things, 
and  then,  when  all  is  ready,  the  sight  flashes,  and 
the  blind  one  sees  Jesus,  and  follows  Him  at  once. 
It  is  important,  in  all  these  cases  of  blindness,  to 
avoid  praying  with  the  enquirer.  By  so  doing,  the 
attention  is  drawn  ofif  the  Lord  on  to  the  prayer 
being  offered.  When  the  time  has  come  to  speak 
to  the  Lord,  tell  the  details  of  the  case  to  the  Lord, 
but  avoid  asking  for  anything.  Carefully  ob- 
serving how  the  Lord  conversed  with  these  men, 


St.  Mark:  The  Servant  at  Work.  115 

use  the  same  questions,  and  seek  to  elicit  the  answer 
that  will  prove  the  faith  is  in  exercise,  and  can 
obtain   the  blessing  of   sight. 

John  ix.  contains  the  story  of  a  blind  man  who 
was  not  an  enquirer,  who  had  no  friends,  who  was 
undisturbed  by  any  crowd  or  excitement,  but  whom 
Jesus  saw.  He  dealt  with  him,  taking  the  initiative 
Himself,  and  testing  the  man's  faith  and  obedience 
by  saying,  "Go,  wash  in  the  pool  of  Siloam ;"  send- 
ing him  away,  rather  than  drawing  him  to  Himself. 
It  is  a  parallel  method  to  that  employed  with  the 
ten  lepers.  Workers  may  often  find  that  an  act  of 
obedience  in  some  other  direction,  such  as  going 
to  a  friend  and  confessing,  or  making  restitution 
for  an  injury  done,  may  be  preliminary  to  the  open- 
ing of  the  eyes.  What  commits  the  soul  to  Christ 
is  the  important  factor  in  the  case.  The  act  of 
washing,  proving  the  obedience  of  the  man,  com- 
mitted the  Lord  to  him  for  the  blessing  he  needed. 
He  could  not  do  otherwise.  And  similarly,  a  definite 
act  of  obedience  today  will  bring  most  blessed  re- 
sults. 

Palsy  or  Paralysis.  The  case  in  Mark  ii.  1-12, 
is  very  instructive,  as  showing  two  things.  First, 
the  value  of  faith  on  the  part  of  others  who  are 
interested.  Second,  the  close  connection  between 
pardon  and  power.     The  four  friends  brought  the 


ii6  St.  Mark:  The  Servant  at  Work. 

sick  of  the  palsy  to  Christ.  Finding  there  was  no 
access  the  regular  way,  they  tried  the  irregular  way, 
and  succeeded.  Perseverance  in  getting  a  man  into 
the  presence  of  the  Lord  is  often  necessary.  Seeing 
him  laid  before  them,  the  Lord  went  straight  to  the 
root  of  the  matter,  namely,  Sin,  and  said,  "Son,  thy 
sins  are  forgiven  thee." 

Sin  is  the  cause  of  paralysis.  No  action  is 
possible,  no  victory  over  surroundings,  only  an  utter 
giving  in  of  helplessness.  But  when  sin  is  pardoned, 
the  result  is — 

POWER  TO  OVERCOME. 

After  the  word  pardon,  the  Lord  said,  ''Rise  and 
walk."  This  was  to  prove  to  the  man  himself,  and 
to  the  large  crowd  of  skeptical  hearers,  the  truth  of 
His  first  words.  "That  ye  may  know  that  the  Son 
of  man  hath  power  on  earth  to  forgive  sins."  How 
many,  who  profess  to  be  forgiven,  show  no  change 
in  conduct,  no  victory  over  sinful  habit,  no  altera- 
tion in  the  way  they  behave,  in  the  associations  they 
form.  Power  must  follow  Pardon.  The  Lord 
Jesus  pardons,  the  Holy  Spirit  empowers. 

Take  time  with  an  enquirer  to  teach  the  baptism 
with  the  Holy  Spirit  as  the  next  gift  of  God  to  par- 
don, and  essential  for  the  holy  walk  of  victory. 

Lameness.  The  impotency  of  sin  is  set  forth 
in  John  v.  1-9.     The  healing  took  place  along  the 


St.  Mark:  The  Servant  at  Work.  117 

line  of  obedience  of  faith,  ''Arise,  take  up  thy  bed, 
and  walk."  The  man  tried  to  begin  an  explanation 
of  his  difficulties  and  disappointments,  and  expressed 
one  of  the  commonest  phases  of  hindrance,  namely, 
waiting  for  some  revival  movement  which  may  pro- 
duce the  desired  blessing.  But  the  Lord  cut  it  short 
by  a  command  of  love.  The  past  cannot  be  argued 
about,  nor  the  possibilities  of  the  future  discussed. 
The  Lord  commands  the  man  to  do  the  impossible, 
that  which  he  has  never  done  before,  and  with  the 
bidding  came  the  enabling.  The  Lord  has  new  ways 
and  new  life  for  an  obedient  heart. 

Withered  Hand.  Mark  iii.  1-5.  How  many  a 
worker  has  ceased  work  through  an  injury!  The 
Lord  shows  how  He  will  renew  the  power  to  work, 
but  it  is  a  little  costly.  The  cure  took  place  in  the 
middle  of  a  synagogue  service,  before  a  large  com- 
pany, some  of  whom  were  strongly  opposed  to  the 
time,  place,  and  method  adopted.  Not  an  uncom- 
mon difficulty,  even  now !  The  man  had  to  obey  on 
two  points — first,  to  "Stand  forth,"  and  next  to 
"Stretch  out  his  hand."  Both  were  difficult,  both 
were  unpleasant,  both  were  necessary.  There  are 
times  when  the  confession  of  need  and  obedience 
in  public  is  the  method  to  be  adopted,  and  thus  the 
Lord  is  committed  to  His  people  by  definite  action. 
One  danger  is  in  making  it  too  easy,  in  some  cases, 
for  blessing  to  be  received. 


ii8  St.  Mark:  The  Servant  at  Work. 

Spinal  Trouble.  Luke  xiii.  10-13.  In  this  case 
and  the  foregoing,  the  Lord  wrought  His  work  be- 
fore the  assembly  of  worshippers.  The  woman  is 
here  spoken  of  as  "bound  by  Satan."  Yet  she  was 
*'a  daughter  of  Abraham/'  a  phrase  indicating  she 
was  a  true  beHever  in  God  and  a  devout  worshipper. 
For  eighteen  years,  she  had  been  going  to  the  syna- 
gogue, but  had  obtained  no  help.  The  suggestive 
line  of  thought  here  would  be — Find  out  the  op- 
pression of  Satan;  then  whether  the  afflicted  one  is 
a  true  beHever  in  the  Lord.  Next,  show,  from  Isa. 
Ixi.  I,  2,  that  deliverance  of  captives  is  part  of  His 
special  work,  and  is  given,  as  in  so  many  other  in- 
stances, to  the  obedient  faith.  The  Lord  is  pre- 
pared to  pronounce  His 

'"thou  art  loosed/' 

as  definitely  now  as  then,  in  response  to  faith.  It 
might  have  seemed  thoughtless,  misjudged,  and  un- 
sympathetic to  make  the  woman  descend  from  the 
gallery,  walk  up  the  floor  of  the  synagogue,  stand 
under  the  gaze  of  all.  But  then,  ''My  ways  are  not 
your  ways,  neither  are  your  thoughts  My  thoughts, 
saith  the  Lord."  Are  we  prepared  to  seek  more 
closely  into  a  knowledge  of  His  ways  for  each  case 
as  we  may  have  to  deal  with  ?  It  will  mean  courage 
and  a  breaking  through  the  rules  of  conventionality. 


St.  Mark:  The  Servant  at  Work.  119 

There  may  be  many  cases  to  whom  it  would  be 
wrong  to  say,  "You  can  be  saved  while  sitting  on 
that  seat."  Exactly  the  reverse  may  prove  to  be 
the  truth. 

Dumbness  accompanies  Deafness.  When  the 
Ear  is  opened,  the  Tongue  is  loosed.  Mark  vii. 
32-37  records  this  case.  The  treatment  was  in 
private,  away  from  the  friends  who  brought  him,  and 
it  included  identification  with  the  man's  trouble.  He 
touched  the  ears  and  the  tongue.  The  Lord  so  ac- 
curately understands  the  location  of  all  the  trouble, 
and  goes  direct  to  the  seat  of  it.  How  can  we 
handle  the  deaf  and  dumb?  Generally  by  getting 
them  alone  with  the  Lord,  arid  very  tenderly  but 
firmly  touching  what  we  know  to  be  the  sin  of  the 
life,  reading  this  incident  as  the  warrant  for  our 
action. 

It  is  a  great  secret  of  success  to  show  a  person  his 
photograph  in  the  Bible,  and  to  show  how  such  an 
one  was  helped  by  the  Lord.  "Faith  cometh  by 
hearing,  and  hearing  by  the  Word  of  God."  Not 
telling  incidents  of  other  people's  experience  is  the 
wise  method,  nor  using  illustrations,  but  pointing  the 
mind  to  the  Lord's  action,  and  enforcing  that  Jesus 
Christ  is  the  same  today  as  He  was  yesterday,  and 
will  do  the  same  things  again. 

The  Woman  with  the  issue  of  blood  (Mark 


I20  St.  Mark:  The  Servant  at  Work. 

vii.  25,  34)  illustrates  an  unprompted  act  of  faith, 
arising  from  her  general  observation.  There  are 
many  who  touch  Him  in  the  crowd  unnoticed  and 
unknown  by  us,  but  not  by  Him.  He  probably  loves 
much  those  souls  who  approach  Him  all  unobserved. 
M^hat  did  she  touch?  The  blue  fringe  at  the  hem 
of  His  garment — that  which  was  the  reminder,  to 
the  pious  Jew,  of  the  words  in  Numb.  xv.  39,  "that 
ye  go  not  about  after  your  own  heart  and  your  own 
eyes."  He  who  wore  the  blue  fringe  was  the  only 
one  who  could  say,  'T  came  not  to  do  Mine  own 
will,  but  the  will  of  Him  that  sent  Me."  Coming  in 
contact,  by  faith,  with  the  perfectly  obedient  one, 
who  laid  down  His  life  for  sin,  gives  perfect  healing 
to  a  wasted  Hfe.     It  is 

THE   LIFE    OF    GOD    SURGING    THROUGH 

the  dying  soul  and  suddenly  expelling  the  defilement 
and  enervation  of  sin.  He  is  equally  accessible  to 
faith  now  as  then.  Suggest  some  of  His  promises 
as  the  fringe  to  be  touched — they  are  from  the  Man 
from  Heaven,  and  are  full  of  'Virtue."  When  *'one 
who  has  touched"  is  discovered,  an  opportunity 
should  be  afforded  for  telling  it  out  to  others,  fol- 
lowing the  precedent  in  the  Gospels,  in  order  to  the 
further  blessing  embodied  in  the  words,  "Thy  faith 
hath  made  thee  whole,  go  in  peace,  and  be  whole 
of  thy  plague." 


St.  Mark:  The  Servant  at  Work.  121 

Group  3. — Over  Death. 

Three  cases  of  Resurrection  are  recorded.  In 
Mark  v.  42,  is  the  story  of  the  child  of  twelve  just 
dead,  Jairus'  daughter.  In  Luke  vii.  11-17,  the 
story  of  the  son  of  the  widow  of  Nain,  who  was 
being-  taken  to  his  burial,  and  who  therefore  had 
been  dead  some  longer  time.  The  third  case  is  that 
of  Lazarus,  in  John  xi.,  who  had  been  dead  four 
days.  Death  is  the  wages  of  sin — not  "the  debt  of 
nature."  It  is  unnatural  to  die;  all  living  creation 
shrinks  from  it,  and  all  races  of  humanity  dread  it. 
The  dead  person,  whether  child,  young  man,  or 
middle-aged  man,  is  representative  of  the  universal 
condition  of  all,  namely,  "dead  in  trespasses  and 
sins"   (Eph.  ii.  i). 

The  voice  of  the  living  Jesus,  the  Son  of  God, 
alone  could  wake  these  dead  ones.  The  voice  of  the 
living  Lord,  risen  from  the  dead,  and  now  heard  in 
the  soul,  through  the  Holy  Spirit,  can  now  alone 
awake  the  dead  soul.  The  quickening  is  in  every 
case  immediate  and  perfect,  and  there  are  the  conse- 
quent immediate  activities  imparted  for  the  new 
life.  The  little  child  is  to  eat;  the  young  man  is 
to  take  care  of  his  mother;  Lazarus  is  to  be  loosed 
and  set  free  for  serving  his  Lord  and  resuming  the 
charge  of  the  household.    The  possession  of  life  in 


122  St.  Mark:  The  Servant  at  Work. 

Christ,  and  from  Christ,  is  for  activity,  not  for  some 
selfish  indulgence. 

It  may  not  be  unwise  to  call  attention  to  the  fact 
that  the  raising  of  Lazarus  presented  more  diffi- 
culties than  that  of  the  other  two.  So  to  bring  a 
middle-aged  person  to  life  in  Christ  is  a  greater  dif- 
ficulty than  leading  a  child  to  Him.  Habits  have 
been  formed ;  grave-clothes  of  tradition  are  wrapped 
around;  and  a  big  stone  of  prejudice  often  blocks 
the  way. 

Group  4. — Over  Sword-cut. 

In  Luke  xxii.  49-53,  we  find  the  full  record  of  this 
•act  of  mercy,  this  sign  of  divine  power.  The  hour 
of  -the  betrayal  had  come,  and  the  band,  led  by  Judas, 
had  arrested  the  Lord,  and  were  about  to  lead  Him 
away,  when  Peter  sprang  to  the  front,  drew  a  sword, 
and  began  to  act  in  defence  of  his  Lord.  He  hit  out, 
and  cut  off  the  ear  of  Malchus,  the  servant  of  the 
high  priest.  The  Lord  immediately  stepped  for- 
ward, with  the  words,  "Suffer  ye  thus  far !"  which 
meant  ''Let  Me  have  the  use  of  My  hand  a 
moment!"  for  they  were  tying  His  hands  behind 
Him  as  a  dangerous  criminal.  He  begged  a  moment's 
respite  in  order  to  undo  the  mischief  wrought  by  the 
impetuosity  of  one  of  His  disciples.  He  must  help 
an  enemy,  and  show  the  disciples  the  meaning  of  His 


vS'^.  Mark:  The  Servant  at  Work.  123 

own  teaching,  "Love  your  enemies,"  "Overcome  evil 
with  good."  Are  not  some  disciples  just  as  eager 
and  rash  now  with  the  sword  of  criticism  and  harsh 
judgment,  feeling  called  upon  to  rush,  forward  for 
the  defence  of  the  truth,  with  great  and  apparently 
holy  zeal,  but  with  how  often  plenty  of  "ear-split- 
ting," which  needs  such  skilled  healing  from  the 
touch  of  His  hand !  Not  always  are  sharp  methods 
to  be  adopted,  but  rather  the  bearing  and  forbear- 
ing. It  stirs  those  zealous  for  the  orthodox  truth 
to  unwise  action  when  some  well-known  disciple, 
supposed  to  be  loyal,  turns  traitor  and  leads  the 
unholy  band  of  unbelievers  to  take  the  truth  pris- 
oner ;  but  the  Lord  is  Sovereign,  and  is  well  able  to 
take  care  of  His  Word,  and  asks  for  our  obedient 
patience  and  faith. 

Group  5. — Over  Storms. 

two  narratives  are  given  us  of  the  lord 
HUSHING  Storms.  On  the  first  occasion,  recorded 
in  Mark  iv.  35-41,  He  had  given  orders  for  all  to 
cross  over  to  the  other  side  of  the  Sea  of  Galilee.  It 
was  a  treacherous  lake  for  the  sudden  uprising  of 
winds,  that  swept  down  over  the  placid  surface  of 
the  water,  and  in  an  incredibly  short  time  lashed  it 
into  dangerous  waves.  He  was  wearied  with  a  long 
day's  work  of  healing,  prayer,  and  teaching,  and  had 


124  ^i-  Mark:  The  Servant  at  Work. 

fallen  asleep  across  the  gunwale  of  the  boat,  in  the 
stern  end.  When  the  danger  became  apparently  very 
great,  they  av/oke  Him  with  the  words,  ''Carest 
Thou  not  that  we  perish?''    Little  were  they  aware 

"No  storm  can  swallow  the  ship  where  lies 
The  Master  of  ocean  and  earth  and  skies." 

He  arose  and  immediately  rebuked  their  unbelief, 
and  the  storm.  The  storm  of  fear  and  doubt  in  their 
hearts  was  a  far  more  serious  one  than  that  of  the 
wind  without.  So,  today,  the  internal  storms  of 
fear  in  the  hearts  of  disciples  are  more  serious  than 
the  trials  of  external  circumstances.  We  shall  often 
need  to  hear  His  words :  ''Why  are  ye  fearful  ?  have 
ye  not  yet  faith?"  There  was  no  excuse  for  their 
want  of  faith.  They  had  seen  and  heard  so  much 
of  His  wondrous  way  of  working  that  He  finds  no 
palliation  for  their  attitude  of  mind. 

Behind  us,  lies  the  great  miracle  of  Calvary;  so 
there  is  still  less  excuse  for  our  sinful  fears  in  the 
midst  of  storm.  The  Lord  is  with  us  as  really  as 
He  was  with  them.  The  miracle,  then,  is  symbolical 
of  this  phase  of  the  Church's  history — her  present 
voyage  to  the  other  side,  and  her  need  to  trust  her 
Lord,  though  He  may  sometimes  be  as  one  asleep 
and  unaware  of  the  present  circumstances. 

On  the  second  occasion  (Mark  vi.  45-54),  He  had 
gone  up  to  the  mountain  top  to  pray,  and  had  sent 


St.  Mark:  The  Servant  at  Work.  125 

the  disciples  across  before  Him.  It  was  evening 
when  they  started,  and  by  midnight  they  were  in  the 
worst  of  the  storm.  In  the  fourth  watch,  namely, 
between  3  and  6  a.  m.,  came  Jesus  walking  on  the 
water  towards  them,  saying,  "Peace,  be  still !"  He 
hushed  the  raging  waters  with  a  word.  The  position 
of  the  disciples  in  the  boat,  toiling  in  rowing,  is 
representative  of  the  position  of  the  Church  of  God 
today,  pulling  hard  against  the  contrary  winds  of 
erroneous  doctrine,  of  worldliness,  and  evil  of  all 
kinds.  Some,  too,  are  fig'hting  the  great  gales  of 
heathen  opposition,  and  the  progress  is  hardly  per- 
ceptible amid  the  dark  and  dreary  hours.  Suddenly 
will  come  the  Lord,  walking  on  the  stormy  waters. 
It  is  a  second  Advent  illustration  and  story.  His 
coming  will  be  immediate  peace,  and  the  hushing  of 
all  the  storms  that  distract  and  threaten  the  very 
existence  of  His  Church.  He  has  bidden  His  people 
watch  and  wait  for  this.  The  Lord  is  with  His 
people  all  the  time  they  journey  home;  the  Lord  is 
coming  for  His  people  in  the  time  of  storm,  to  take 
them  immediately  into  His  presence. 


Chapter  VII. 

ST.  LUKE:    THE  MAN. 

His  Prayerfulness^  Humanity^  Compassion. 

"Behold  the  Man." — John  xix,  5. 

Q  T.  LUKE  gives  us  the  Portrait  of  the  Lord 
^  Jesus  Christ  as  the  Man  amongst  men,  re- 
vealing his  humanity,  his  sympathy,  his  authority. 

The  Author. 

Of  the  writer,  very  Httle  is  known.  He  is  gener- 
ally supposed  to  have  been  a  Gentile  by  birth,  and 
therefore  a  "Proselyte  of  the  Gate."  He  is  only 
mentioned  in  three  places,  namely,  in  Col.  iv.  15;  2 
Tim.  vi.  II,  and  Philemon  24.  The  first  mention  of 
his  connection  with  the  Apostle  Paul  is  indicated  in 
Acts  xvi.  10,  by  the  use  of  the  word  we. 

His  narrative  is  a  biography,  in  which  he  begins, 
as  do  all  popular  writers,  with  the  birth  and  early 
years  and  the  surroundings  of  the  child.  It  is  all  so 
natural,  simple,  attractive,  and  interesting.  And 
as  he  proceeds  to  unfold  the  life  of  this  remarkable 
man,  one  cannot  but  be  struck  with  the  fact  that  it 
is  the  Man  from  heaven,  the  God-Man,  whose  story 
is  being  told. 

126 


St.  Luke:  The  Man  Amongst  Men.        127 

Divisions. 

(a)  Birth  and  early  years,     i.,  ii. 

(b)  Ministry  in  Galilee,     iii.-ix.  50. 

(c)  Journeying  from  Galilee  to  Jerusalem,  ix. 
51-xix.  2y. 

(d)  The  great  week.    Triumphal  entry— to  Cross 

xix.  28-xxiii. 

(e)  Resurrection  and  Ascension,    xxiv. 

Chapter  Titles. 

I.  Birth  of  Forerunner. 

II.  Birth  of  the  Saviour. 

III.  Jesus  introduced  by  John  Baptist  and  Genealogy. 

IV.  Conflict  in  Wilderness— Conflict  in  Synagogue. 
V.  Catdhing  fish  and  catching  men. 

VI.     Choosing  Apostles— Teaching  Disciples.^ 
VII.     Succouring  a  Centurion,  a  Widow,  a  Sinner. 
VIII.     Meeting  Storm,  Demons,  Death,  Disease. 
IX.     The  Transfiguration. 
X.     The  Seventy— the  Good  Samaritan— the  Bethany 

Home. 
XI.     The  Lord's  Prayer— Meeting  and  rebuking  Phari- 
saic Opposition. 
XII.     No  Fear— No  Care— No  Doubt— No  Hoard. 

XIII.  Loosing  from  Infirmity. 

XIV.  Feasts  and  their  Lessons. 
XV.     The  Lost  Ones  Found. 

XVI.     The  Self-seeking  Ones  Lost. 
XVII.     Ten  Lepers— Prophetic  Discourse. 
XVin.     Unrighteous    Judge— Self-righteous    Pharisee  — 
Young  Ruler— Blind  Beggar. 


128        Sf.  Luke:  The  Man  Amongst  Men. 

XIX.  Joy  in  a  House — Tears  over  City. 

XX,  Faithless  Husbandmen — Puzzlers  puzzled. 

XXI.  Things  that  will  come  to  pass. 

XXII.  The  last  Passover— Gethsemane. 

XXIII.  Crucified  between  two  Thieves. 

XXIV.  Risen  and  Manifested. 

The  Key  Verse  is  xv.  2:  'This  man  receiveth 
sinners  and  eateth  with  them."  For  illustrations 
of  this,  reference  should  be  made  to  the  feasts  he  at- 
tended in  Matthew  the  tax-gatherer's  house,  in  the 
house  of  Zacchaeus,  another  tax-gatherer;  in  the 
house  of  Simon,  the  Pharisee,  where  the  sinful 
woman  met  with  him ;  and  in  the  house  of  an  un- 
named Pharisee,  recorded  in  chap.  xiv.  Two  of  the 
marked  features  are  Praise  and  Prayer,  his  presence 
kindling  both,  for  He  himself  was  always  a  man  of 
praise  to  God  and  prayer  for  others. 

The  contrast  between  this  narrative  and  that  of 
St.  Matthew  is  very  marked.  The  former  opened 
with  the  wail  of  the  mothers  over  their  slain  chil- 
dren ;  it  continued  with  the  story  of  his  rejection 
by  his  nation,  and  concluded  with  the  pronounce- 
ment of  the  sevenfold  woes,  and  the  foreview  of 
the  future  history  of  the  nation  in  accumulating 
sorrow.  This  was  only  fitting  under  the  circum- 
stances, for  the  history  of  the  nation  of  Messiah  is 
one  long  tale  of  suffering  on  account  of  their  sin 
in  the  rejection  of  Jehovah,  and  later  of  Jesus.     St. 


St.  Luke:  The  Man  Amongst  Men.         129 

Luke,  on  the  other  hand,  gives  us  another  side  of 
the  story,  how  the  Son  of  man  came  to  be  the 
Saviour  of  mankind,  and  was  filled  with  the  com- 
passion and  pity  of  God.  Wherever  He  is  known. 
He  will  bring  gladness,  and  will  bring  men  nearer 
to  God.  This  is  one  great  purpose  of  his  narrative. 
The  PRAISE  NOTES  will  be  found  to  be  as  follows : 

1.  The  Annunciation  to  Zacharias  of  the  birth 
of  a  son,  to  be  named  John.  It  was  the  first  kindling 
of  hope  in  the  hearts  of  those  who  watched  and 
waited  for  the  fulfilment  of  God's  promises  (i.  13- 

17). 

2.  The    Hail    Mary!    the    annunciation    to   the 

Virgin  that  s'he  should  be  the  mother  of  the  Messiah 
(i.  28-33). 

3.  Elizabeth's  salutation  to  her  cousin  Mary ;  as, 
filled  with  the  Holy  Ghost,  she  gave  praise  to  God 
for  the  coming  wonders  of  His  grace  to  them  both. 
''Blessed  is  she  that  believed,"  is  the  keynote  of 
this  song.    It  is  still  the  keynote  of  all  praise  (i.  42- 

45). 

4.  The  Magnificat!    Mary's  response  and  praise 

to  God  for  His  mercy  vouchsafed  to  her.  The  domi- 
nant note  in  her  song  is  God's  faithfulness  to  His 
own  word  of  promise  (i.  46-55)- 

5.  The  Song  of  Zacharias,  after  the  birth  of 
John  the  Baptist,  when  his  t6ngue,  silent  for  nine 


130        St.  Luke:  The  Man  Amongst  Men. 

months,  is  once  more  loosed,  and  he  praises  God. 
UnbeHef  closed  it;  faith  opened  it,  and  it  com- 
menced thanksgiving  and  praise.  The  doininant 
note  in  his  song  is  also  the  fulfilment  of  God's  prom- 
ises ;  and  upon  that  the  assurance  of  the  further  ac- 
complishment of  His  will  according  to  His  declared 
purposes,  (i.  68-79).  (Students  of  the  Word  of 
God  should  trace  out,  in  this  chapter's  songs,  all 
the  allusions  to,  and  quotations  from,  the  Old  Testa- 
ment Scriptures). 

6.  The  Angel's  announcement,  to  the  shepherds, 
of  the  birth  of  the  Saviour,  Christ  the  Lord,  in 
Bethlehem  (ii.  10-12). 

7.  The  choral  song  of  the  heavenly  host  that 
followed  the  announcement  to  the  shepherds. 
Heaven  and  earth  have  united  their  songs  of  praise 
for  the  advent  of  the  Redeemer  (ii.  14). 

8.  ,01d  Simeon's  song  of  praise  as  he  held  the 
infant  Jesus  in  his  arms  and  said,  "Now  lettest  Thou 
Thy  servant  depart  in  peace,  according  to  Thy 
Word.''  Once  more  it  is  the  faithfulness  of  God 
to  His  Word  that  causes  this  thanksgiving  (ii.  29- 
32). 

9.  Anna,  the  Prophetess,  coming  in  at  that 
moment,  added  her  tribute  of  praise,  for  she  spake 
of  Him  to  all  that  looked  for  the  redemption  of 
Jerusalem  (ii.  38). 


St.  Luke:  The  Man  Amongst  Men.         131 

Next  must  be  traced  a  series  of  incidents  in  which 
the  phrase  glorifying  God  occurs  as  shewing  the 
effect  of  the  Lord's  words  and  works  upon  the 
people.  It  will  be  an  ever-increasing  chain  of 
praise. 

10.  The  shepherds  who  went  to  Bethlehem  and 
found  even  as  the  angels  had  said,  returned  glorify- 
ing and  praising  God  (ii.  20). 

11.  The  sick  of  the  palsy,  after  he  was  healed, 
departed  to  his  house  glorifying  and  praising  God 
(v.  25). 

12.  The  praise  was  contagious,  for  amazement 
took  hold  on  all,  and  they  glorified  God,  and  were 
filled  with  fear  (v.  26).  It  was  the  unexpected 
presence  in  power  of  the  Man  from  heaven,  full  of 
divine  compassion,  in  strong  contrast  to  those  recog- 
nized teachers  of  divinity,  who  had  done  their  best 
to  bar  the  way  of  any  to  the  Lord;  so  that  it  had 
been  found  necessary  to  get  the  paralyzed  man  to 
the  feet  of  the  Saviour  by  the  irregular  way  of 
tearing  a  hole  in  the  roof,  and  so  letting  him  down. 

13.  When  the  Lord  had  raised  the  dead  son  of 
the  widow  of  Nain,  the  crowd  standing  by  glorified 
God,  saying,  "A  great  prophet  has  arisen  amongst 
us,  and  God  hath  visited  His  people."  It  was  the 
echo  of  the  song  of  Zacharias  in  i.  68  and  78.  Life 
from  the  dead  is  only  by  the  visitation  of  God,  and 


132        St.  Luke:  The  Man  Amongst  Men. 

so  when  the  Son  of  God  shall  return,  He  will  sum- 
mon all  the  departed  in  the  faith  to  meet  Him,  and 
what  a  great  host  will  then  glorify  God  (vii.  16). 

14.  Jesus  laid  His  hands  on  the  woman  who  had 
been  oppressed  by  Satan  for  eighteen  years,  and 
made  her  straight,  and  immediately  she  glorified 
God.  This  uncommon  and  unorthodox  proceeding  of 
a  woman  being  heard  praising  God  in  a  synagogue, 
so  incensed  the  ruler  of  the  synagogue,  that  he  ut- 
tered stern  rebuke.  But  it  was  of  no  avail.  When 
the  Lord  God  is  present,  all  human  rules  must  be, 
and  will  be,  set  aside  for  the  deliverance  of  captives, 
and  for  the  glory  of  God.  But  the  effect  is  that  no 
flesh  can  glory  in  His  presence,  and  this  is  what 
rouses  antagonism  from  the  enemy  (xiii.  13). 

15.  The  ten  lepers  had  cried  out  to  Him  for 
mercy,  and  had  obtained  it.  One  of  them,  who  was 
a  Samaritan,  returned,  and  with  a  loud  voice  glori- 
fied God.  One  wonders  whether  that  loud  voice  was 
met  by  any  criticism  in  those  days  by  bystanders,  as 
it  does  sometimes  in  our  days.  How  afraid  many 
are  of  the  impropriety  of  hearty  audible  praise  to 
God.  Anyhow,  cleansed  lepers,  who  long  have 
groaned  audibly  over  their  helpless  misery,  may  well 
be  splendidly  vocal  when  touched  and  cleansed  by 
the  power  of  God  (xvii.  15). 

16.  The  next  case  is  that  of  blind  Bartimeus, 


St.  Luke:  The  Man  Amongst  Men.         133 

who,  when  cured  of  his  bUndness,  caught  sight  of 
Jesus  for  the  first  time,  and  glorified  God,  and  fol- 
lowed the  Lord.  Well  he  might,  seeing  he  had  been 
so  helpless  all  his  life.  Now  he  is  free  from  the 
bondage  of  blindness  and  darkness,  and  he  walks  in 
the  light  and  follows  the  light  (xviii.  43)- 

17.  This  case  was  also  contagious,  for  all  the 
people,  when  they  saw  it,  gave  praise  unto  God. 
How  could  they  help  it?  It  was  so  delightful  to 
see  the  joy  and  gladness  of  their  poor  neighbour 
(xviii.  43)- 

18.  The  Centurion,  who  was  the  officer  in  charge 
of  the  regiment  that  kept  the  ground  for  the  cruci- 
fixion, was  the  first  answer  to  the  Lord's  prayer  of : 
''Father,  forgive  them."  He  had  watched  all 
through  those  hours  of  darkness,  had  heard  all  the 
utterances  from  those  blessed  lips,  and  had  no  doubt 
been  awe-struck  with  the  conversation  between 
Jesus  and  the  thief,  and  when  the  end  came  with 
its  unexpected  swiftness,  and  solemn  cry  of  anguish, 
he  exclaimed,  ''Certainly  this  was  a  righteous  man," 
and  this  is  spoken  of  as  glorifying  God.  It  was  the 
acknowledging  of  the  truth  as  far  as  he  could  per- 
ceive it ;  and  at  the  risk  of  losing  all  by  practically 
taking  sides  with  a  condemned  criminal,  he  found 
eternal  life,  and  was  the  first  trophy  of  grace  won 
by  the  death  of  the  Lord  for  sinners  (xxiii.  47). 


134        St.  Luke:  The  Man  Amongst  Men. 

19.  The  Gospel  closes  with  the  disciples  return- 
ing from  the  Mount  of  Ascension  with  great  joy, 
blessing  God.  They  had  received  the  parting  bless- 
ing from  the  uplifted  hands  of  the  departing  Lord, 
and,  filled  with  that  blessing,  they  begin  anew  to 
send  it  back  in  worship  to  God  from  whom  it  came 
(xxiv.  53). 

Glorifying  God  is  always  the  result  of  joy  in  God, 
the  joy  of  salvation.  In  Chap,  xv.,  the  great  chap- 
ter of  salvation,  three  times  is  joy  introduced.  In 
ver.  7,  There  shall  be  joy  in  heaven  over  a  repenting 
sinner.  In  ver.  10,  There  is  joy  in  the  presence  of  the 
angels  of  God  over  a  repenting  sinner.  In  ver.  32,  It 
zuas  meet  to  make  merry  and  be  glad.  Joy  is  in  all 
three  tenses ;  it  is  eternal  in  the  presence  of  God. 

Throughout  this  study,  it  is  important  to  see  that 
in  every  case,  God  is  glorified,  and  no  mention  is 
made  of  the  Lord  Jesus  Himself.  He  directed  at- 
tention to  God;  His  words  and  works  made  men 
think  of  God,  speak  of  God,  and  honour  God.  Thus 
He  is  the  True  Man,  that  draws  no  attention  to 
Himself,  and  proves  His  deity  by  His  selflessness. 
In  proportion  to  our  drawing  attention  to  God,  we 
are  like  Jesus. 

JESUS  A   MAN  OF   PRAYER. 

This  writer  gives  us  ten  dififerent  occasions  on 
which  the  Lord  offered  prayer. 


St.  Luke:  The  Man  Amongst  Men.         135 

1.  ''Jesus  also  having  been  baptized  and  praying, 
the  heaven  was  opened,  and  the  Holy  Spirit  de- 
scended upon  Him"  (iii.  21).  This  is  instructive 
for  us  in  connection  with  our  need  for  the  mani- 
festation again  and  again  of  the  presence  and  power 
of  that  same  Spirit  in  answer  to  prayer. 

2.  After  cleansing  the  leper,  "He  withdrew 
Himself  into  the  deserts  and  prayed"  (v.  16).  He 
had  been  in  contact  with  the  needs  and  sorrows 
and  infections  of  sinners,  and  required  the  change 
of  air  into  the  presence  of  the  Father  to  renew  His 
energy  and  feed  His  life.  His  action  is  full  of  ex- 
ample for  the  workers  today  amongst  the  lost  and 
fallen. 

3.  "He  continued  all  night  in  prayer,  and  when 
it  was  day.  He  called  His  disciples,  and  He  chose 
fromi  them  twelve,  whom  also  He  named  Apostles" 
(vi.  12).  How  important  this  event  was  in  His 
mind,  the  choice  of  those  who  were  to  be  with  Him ! 
How  strange  would  sound  a  pulpit  announcement, 
some  Sunday,  in  which  the  minister  asked  the  mem- 
bers of  the  church  to  meet  him  for  a  half-night  of 
prayer,  as  there  were  two  or  three  teachers  needed 
in  the  Sunday-school !  He  would  be  thought  to  be 
losing  his  senses,  and  yet  he  might  only  be  found 
following,  a  little  more  closely  than  usual,  in  the 
Master's  footsteps,  in  the  method  of  selection  of 


136        St.  Luke:  The  Man  Amongst  Men. 

certain  to  be  sent  out  to  teach  others  the  way  of  life. 
May  there  not  He  here  a  secret  as  to  the  cause  of  the 
inefficiency  of  so  much  Sunday-school  teaching,  in 
that  the  teachers  are  not  selected  in  answer  to  defi- 
nite prayer. 

4.  "As  He  was  praying,  the  disciples  were  with 
Him''  (ix.  18).  Here  we  have  only  the  mention  of 
the  bare  fact  that  He  was  engaged  in  private  prayer, 
and  afterwards  entered  into  conversation  with  the 
disciples  with  regard  to  the  impressions  produced  by 
His  ministry. 

5.  "And  as  He  was  praying,  the  fashion  of  His 
countenance  was  altered,  and  His  raiment  became 
white  and  dazzling"  (ix.  29).  Here,  at  the  trans- 
figuration, as  at  the  baptism,  whilst  in  prayer,  the 
heavens  were  opened  over  His  soul,  and  He  became 
filled  with  the  glory  of  God  manifestly.  How  shall 
we  be  transfigured?  We  are  commanded  to  be  so 
in  Rom.  xii.  2,  where  the  word  "transformed"  is 
the  same  as  "transfigured"  in  this  history  of  our 
Lord.  It  will  only  be  by  prayer,  much  sustained  and 
continuous  prayer  unto  God,  until  He  shall  answer 
by  the  mighty  transfiguring  power  of  the  Indwelling 
Spirit.  No  doubt  the  three  disciples  heard  some  of 
those  prayers,  for  apparently  the  Lord  generally 
prayed  audibly,  and  thus  kindled  in  others  the  pray- 
ing spirit.     What  a  mighty  privilege  to  have  heard 


St.  Luke:  The  Man  Amongst  Men.         137 

the  prayer  ascending,  and  seen  something  of  the 
answer  descending  upon  Him.  If  we  were  awake 
spiritually,  should  we  not  see  more  of  the  same  trans- 
figuring power  at  work  today? 

6.  ''As  He  was  praying,  in  a  certain  place,  when 
He  ceased,  one  of  His  disciples  said  unto  Him,  Lord 
teach  us  to  pray  as  John  also  taught  his  disciples" 
(xi.  i).  Then  follows  the  well-known  Lord's 
prayer,  which  has  been  used  by  disciples  all  down 
the  centuries.  Here  again  we  see  the  effect  of  audi- 
ble prayer  on  those  listening.  How  He  must  have 
poured  out  His  heart  to  God  for  them,  for  the 
crowds  He  had  been  mingling  with,  for  the  nation, 
for  the  sick  He  had  healed.  It  must  have  been  a 
wonderful  stream  of  intercession  that  those  men 
listened  to,  which  took  them  to  the  very  Holy  of 
Holies.  No  wonder  they  asked  to  be  taught  to 
pray. 

7.  "Simon,  Simon,  behold  Satan  asked  to  have 
you,  that  he  might  sift  you  as  wheat,  but  I  have 
prayed  for  thee  that  thy  faith  fail  not"  (xxii.  32). 
Here  we  have  the  Lord  perceiving  the  plan  of  attack 
by  Satan  upon  His  disciples,  and  mentioned  one  of 
them  by  name  to  the  Father.  If  then,  how  much 
more  often  since,  may  He  not  have  mentioned  names 
of  those  whom  He  has  seen  in  places  of  dire  tempta- 
tion and  difficulty,  and  succoured  them.    He  is  the 


138        St.  Luke:  The  Man  Amongst  Men. 

same,  and  He  ever  liveth  to  make  intercession  for 
us  also. 

8.  In  the  garden  of  Gethsemane,  we  have  the 
threefold  prayer,  consequent  on  the  threefold  attack 
made  by  Satan  upon  Him,  and  the  threefold  deliv- 
erance vouchsafed  to  Him  by  the  Father  (xxii.  41). 
Into  that  deep  mystery  of  sorrow  and  suffering,  we 
cannot  now  penetrate,  but  it  is  enough  to  note  how 
He  prayed,  and  with  what  earnestness,  being  in  an 
agony.  And  was  heard  in  that  He  feared,  or  for 
His  godly  fear.  He  said,  "Abba  Father,"  and  St. 
Paul  tells  us  that  God  hath  sent  forth  the  Spirit 
of  His  Son  in  our  hearts  whereby  we  cry  Abba 
Father.  The  Gethsemane  language  is  passed  on  to 
us  for  similar  use. 

9.  From  the  cross  came  the  great  prayer  w'hich 
has  echoed  down  the  centuries,  "Father,  forgive 
them,  for  they  know  not  what  they  do"  (xxiii.  34). 
Then  the  whole  heart  of  the  Lord  went  out  to  His 
enemies.  That  prayer  was  answered  in  the  conver- 
sion of  the  Centurion  in  charge  of  the  guard  on 
the  ground,  and  as  the  Lord  died  he  confessed  Him 
before  all.  It  was  a  magnificent  triumph  of  the 
power  of  God  amid  all  the  awful  scenes  of  opposi- 
tion and  hatred,  and  a  glorious  answer  to  the  dying 
Lord's  prayer. 


St.  Luke:  The  Man  Amongst  Men.         139 

10.  The  closing  prayer  was,  "Father,  into  Thy 
hands  I  commit  My  Spirit"  (xxiii.  4).  It  was  His 
last  utterance  in  the  ears  of  men.  He  had  finished 
the  work,  ending  with  the  hiding  of  the  Father's 
face,  and  now  He  once  more  says,  "Father."  He 
passed  away  from  the  midst  through  the  gate  of 
death,  and  now  He  Hves  to  renew  that  blessed  occu- 
pation in  heaven. 

FACTS   PECULIAR  TO  THE  GOSPEL. 

This  Gospel,  recording,  as  it  does,  features  of 
the  Lord's  life  to  bring  clearly  out  the  humanity  of 
the  Person,  will  be  found  to  contain  facts  not  else- 
where described,  which  will  most  vividly  illustrate 
this.  The  following  are  the  most  striking  of  these, 
and  will  show  His  humanity,  compassion,  tender- 
ness, and  power.  If  never  man  spake  like  this  Man, 
then  also  never  men  wrought  like  this  Man.  His 
word  and  His  work  as  Man  were  exquisitely  full  of 
the  love  and  power  of  God.  What  should  this  mean 
for  us?  Simply  that  if  we  are  receiving  of  His 
Spirit,  then  we  may — nay,  are  to,  reproduce  similar 
lives  of  tenderness,  grace,  and  power  amongst  the 
sorrow-stricken,  sinful,  heavy-laden  and  worldly 
ones  surrounding  us  now. 

I.  The  details  surrounding  His  infancy. 
The  writer  gives  so  beautifully  the  old  friends  of  the 


I40        St.  Luke:  The  Man  Amongst  Men. 

Child,  such  as  Simeon  and  Anna.  Then  we  have 
the  shepherds  taking  their  flocks  up  to  Jerusalem 
for  sacrificial  purposes,  announcing  the  arrival  of 
the  Messiah  in  Bethlehem  as  the  first  evangelists  of 
the  Lord ;  and  probably  preparing  the  minds  of  the 
temple  worshippers  for  His  arrival  shortly  for  the 
purposes  of  fulfilling  the  law.  Their  story  would 
be  to  quicken  faith  and  expectation  immensely,  and 
put  the  watchers  on  the  look-out  for  the  advent. 
Should  not  the  shepherds  of  the  flock  of  God  today 
be  more  and  more  acting  as  the  heralds  of  the 
second  advent,  and  be  thus  preparing  those  who 
are  more  or  less  on  the  look-out? 

2.  The  one  event  of  His  boyhood.  In  chapter 
ii.  41-52,  is  the  narrative  of  the  first  visit  to  the 
temple,  to  attend  Passover,  and  the  closing  scene  of 
it,  when  He  was  for  three  days  lost  to  His  mother. 
The  whole  story  is  so  human,  so  tender — the  active 
mind  of  the  boy,  the  keen  interest  in  the  wonderful 
surroundings,  the  anxious  inquiries,  the  charm  of 
such  an  intelligent  seeker  after  truth  amongst  those 
teachers,  the  forgetfulness  almost  as  to  how  time 
was  going,  the  surprise  in  His  voice  and  manner 
when  He  hears  His  mother  has  been  seeking  Him 
sorrowing,  the  unconscious  position  of  the  child,  and 
yet  the  absorbing  nature  of  the  things  which  had 
so  completely  filled  His  vision,  as  His  real  relation 


St.  Luke:  The  Man  Amongst  Men.         141 

to  things  around  Him  was  evidently  beginning  to 
dawn  upon  Him  in  a  new  way — Who  He  was, 
whence  He  came,  and  what  was  His  mission  in 
this  world?  Yet  behind  it  all,  there  is  the  utter 
submission  to  the  will  of  His  parents,  so  that,  al- 
though He  'had  in  His  mind  chosen  to  undertake  the 
business  of  teacher,  to  which  He  felt,  in  His  inmost 
soul,  God  had  called  Him,  He  makes  no  further 
utterance  about  it,  but  goes  back  to  Nazareth,  there 
to  be  apprenticed  to  the  business  of  carpenter,  and 
give  His  first  illustration  of  what  He  afterwards  so 
frequently  taught,  that  He  had  not  come  down  to 
do  His  own  will.  This  was  the  first  step  in  that 
pathway  which  closed  with  the  prayer  in  Gethse- 
mane:  "Not  as  I  will,  hut  as  Thou  ivilt." 

3.  The  Nazareth  synagogue  scene,  iv.  16-30. 
Where  He  had  been  brought  up.  He  would  be  best 
known.  Where  He  was  best  known.  He  would  be 
least  approved.  It  was  so  with  Him — the  Perfect 
One;  how  much  more  with  those  who  can  lay  no 
claim  to  perfection!  There  is  always  a  heavy  dis- 
count taken  off  all  we  do,  and  say,  and  are,  where 
we  are  best  known,  as  a  rule.  Why?  It  is  human 
nature  to  despise  the  fellow-townsman,  especially  if 
he  shows  some  faculties  a  little  above  the  average, 
and  more  so,  if  he  turns  out  to  be  a  friend  of  God. 
Probably  both  these  elements  were  present  in  Nazar- 


142        St.  Luke:  The  Man  Amongst  Men. 

eth.  His  reading  of  Scripture,  so  manifestly  point- 
ing to  Himself,  His  explanation  of  it  in  the  words, 
''This  day  is  this  scripture  fulfilled  in  your  ears/' 
made  such  a  feeling  of  wonder  first,  of  intense  ex- 
citement, that  a  young  man,  a  carpenter,  so  well 
known,  should  dare  to  suggest  He  was  the  Messiah 
of  prophecy,  followed  by  a  few  terse  statements 
pointing  out  the  sovereignty  of  God  in  selecting 
Gentiles  of  old  to  be  the  recipients  of  His  grace,  all 
this  roused  the  bitterness,  and  led  to  the  first  wilful 
attempt,  on  the  part  of  those  who  were  His  kith  and 
kin,  to  destroy  Him,  or  at  least  to  maim  Him.  It 
is  a  terribly  sad  picture,  but  a  true  one,  of  human 
nature.  He,  however,  being  full  of  grace,  showed 
no  resentment  or  anger,  but  passed  away,  shielded 
by  an  invisible  power,  and  ready  to  repeat  all  He 
might,  elsewhere,  that  would  be  for  the  blessing  of 
His  poor  people.  The  story  is  full  of  incident  that 
needs,  and  will  repay,  careful  study. 

4.  The  evening  meal  in  the  house  of  Simon 
THE  Pharisee.  Chap.  vii.  Here  we  have  an  illus- 
tration of  a  thought  uttered,  not  many  years  ago, 
by  an  eminent  servant  of  God,  who  said,  "A  man's 
character  is  known  by  the  way  he  treats  Jesus." 
Simon  evidently  had  but  a  poor  idea  of  the  open-air 
preacher,  for  such  Jesus  was.  A  good  man  for  the 
masses,    no    doubt;    one    who    might   be    popular 


St.  Luke:  The  Man  Amongst  Men.         143 

amongst  them,  and  might  do  some  very  useful  work, 
but  not  the  kind  of  man  for  the  upper  classes  in  so- 
ciety. Yet  in  this  house  there  met,  strangely  and 
accidentally,  a  member  of  the  ruling  class  and  a 
member  of  the  very  lowest  class,  and  between  them 
was  some  One  who  was  equally  at  His  ease  with 
both,  and  could  speak  to  both  with  equal  authority 
and  power.  The  presence  of  Jesus  is  always  awkward 
for  the  Pharisee,  blessed  for  the  sinner.  His  pres- 
ence disclosed  two  striking  facts  hitherto  unknown. 
It  brought  out  the  patronage  and  ignorance  of  the 
Pharisee,  and  at  the  same  time  disclosed  the  faith 
and  broken-heartedness  of  the  poor  sinner,  who 
must  have  heard  those  lips  proclaiming  in  the  open 
air:  ''Come  unto  me  .  and  I  unit  give  you  rest.'' 
How  seldom  does  the  preacher  practise  what  he 
preaches !  Here  is  One  who  can,  and  will ;  and  the 
needy  sinner  will  find  it  out  for  herself.  In  the  nar- 
rative, notice  how  tenderly  He  handles  her,  how 
quickly  He  relieves  her,  how  easy  He  makes  it  for 
her.  At  the  same  time,  how  unsparing  are  His  words 
to  His  host;  how  He  shows  him  up  before  all  the 
other  guests  round  the  table,  in  his  true  character, 
being  guilty  of  refusing  him  common  civility  in  the 
''no  mater  for  my  feet;"  of  refusing  Him  common 
friendship  in  the  "no  kiss;''  and  refusing  Him  all 
honor  as  His  guest  in  the  "no  oil  for  my  head." 


144        ^^-  Luke:  The  Man  Amongst  Men. 

The  two  characters  come  out  in  the  two  treatments 
He  received.  Patronage  without  faith  will  produce 
no  message  of  pardon  of  sin,  for  there  is  no  con- 
viction of  sin  in  the  heart  of  the  Pharisee.  Faith, 
with  a  broken  heart,  will  demand  and  obtain  the 
word  of  pardon,  with  an  accompanying  word  of 
power,  ''Go  in  peace."  The  writer  has  caught  the 
whole  scene  correctly.  He  has  pictured  the  com- 
passion and  the  tenderness  towards  the  broken  reed ; 
he  has  drawn  the  patience  and  fearlessness  and  re- 
buke in  all  love  and  yearning  toward  the  self- 
righteous  man. 

5.  Sending  out  the  seventy  into  every  city 
and  place  whither  He  Himself  would  come.  Chap. 
X.  Here  is  the  yearning  heart  for  the  multitudes, 
the  best  way  to  prepare  them  for  His  arrival 
amongst  them,  the  kindly  wise  thought  to  send  so 
many  men  who  knew  Him  and  His  methods  and 
message,  so  that  when  He  would  go,  there  would 
be  a  large  measure  of  preparedness  and  readiness 
to  receive.  Here  is  seen  the  true  humanity  in  ac- 
customing people  to  Him,  though  He  is  from  God. 

6.  The  Bethany  home.  Chap.  x.  How  one 
lingers  in  fancy  round  this  scene  of  rest,  welcome, 
homeliness,  and  loving  care.  Yet  where  He  is 
Guest,  He  is  also  Master.  He  speaks  with  author- 
ity. He  uses  His  opportunities  for  teaching  of  God. 
He  welcomes  an  audience  of  one,  and  pours  into 


St.  Luke:  The  Man  Amongst  Men.         145 

her  listening  ear  things  concerning  the  kingdom  of 
God  she  would  never  otherwise  have  heard.  How 
much  is  lost  by  not  giving  the  Lord  opportunities 
of  talking  to  us  alone,  with  no  one  to  interrupt  or 
distract !  The  well-known  story  is  amongst  the  oft- 
misquoted  passages.  How  frequently  we  have 
heard  it  said,  and  emphasized,  Mary  had  chosen  the 
better  part.  Yet  such  was  not  the  utterance  at  all 
of  the  Lord.  He  drew  no  comparison  between  the 
two  sisters.  He  said  Mary  had  chosen  the  good 
part.  It  was  the  part  of  receiving,  while  she  had 
given  Him'  the  place  of  giving,  which  is  always  His 
place  of  blessing.  When  we  try  and  make  Him 
receiver  of  our  attentions  and  gifts,  we  displace 
Him.  ''It  is  more  blessed  to  give  than  to  receive" 
is  true  of  Him  first  and  foremost.  Let  Him  always 
have  that  position,  and  He  will  always  occupy  it, 
and  then  we  shall  have  Mary's  place  of  receiving, 
which  is  the  good  part. 

This  is  more  important  than  service,  but  gives 
the  best  preparation  for  effective  and  successful 
service.  This  may  seem  a  hard  saying  to  a  naturally 
bustling,  busy,  energetic  nature,  which  has  the  fac- 
ulty of  organizing  work  cleverly. 

7.      Two    BROTHERS    ASKING    HiM    TO    ARBITRATE. 

Chap.  xii.  Much  is  said,  nowadays,  as  to  the 
social  side  and  teaching  of  Jesus.  It  is  made  out 
that  He  was  a  great  social  reformer,  and  came  to 


146        St.  Luke:  The  Man  Amongst  Men. 

Inaugurate  great  reforms  that  should  benefit  the 
human  race.  In  one  sense,  yes — this  is  true,  but 
not  wholly  so.  The  grave  question  is,  What  is  the 
order  of  procedure  as  laid  down  by  Him?  Did  He 
ever  interfere  with  social  or  political  matters  ?  The 
answer  is,  No.  He  refused  to  attend  to  such  matters, 
even  when  brought  immediately  under  His  notice. 
Here  is  a  case  in  point.  Two  brothers  have  a  quar- 
rel over  property  left  by  a  father.  One  is  suffering 
at  the  hands  of  the  other,  who  refuses  to  act  justly 
in  the  distribution  of  the  property.  In  the  appeal  to 
the  Lord,  it  would  have  appeared  that  He  would 
have  acted  as  arbitrator  in  order  to  set  a  wrong 
right.  But  He  refused,  and  in  doing  so  brought  out 
clearly  that  He  was  not  here  to  act  as  Judge  and 
Divider  in  the  matter  of  earthly  wealth,  but  had  far 
more  important  things  to  talk  about;  also,  that  in 
so  many  cases,  the  "love  of  more,"  or  covetousness, 
was  the  great  bane  of  human  lives,  seeing  that  men 
were  a  hundred  times  more  keen  after  earthly  good 
than  after  spiritual  good.  Then  followed  one  of  the 
parables  only  found  in  this  gospel,  generally  called 
by  the  title,  "The  rich  fool."  Here  is  wise  firmness, 
a  determination  not  to  allow  any  circumstances,  how- 
ever important  in  themselves,  to  deter  Him  from 
pursuing  His  one  great  mission — namely,  to  save 
the  lost,  and  make  atonement  for  sin.    Till  that  has 


St.  Luke:  The  Man  Amongst  Men.         147 

been  done,  till  He  has  been  accepted  as  the  sent  One 
from  God,  to  handle  the  great  fact  of  sin.  He  can 
give,  and  will  give,  no  attention  to  anything  else. 

He  is  an  absorbed  Saviour.  Once  He  was  offered 
all  the  kingdoms  of  the  world  with  their  power  and 
glory  by  the  Prince  of  this  world,  in  return  for  an 
act  of  worship.  But  He  could  not  thus  be  tempted. 
What  would  an  unredeemed  world  be  worth  to  Him 
or  to  God?  On  another  occasion.  He  was  offered 
the  kingdom  of  the  Jewish  nation  by  the  people 
themselves.  But  of  what  value  would  that  have 
been,  seeing  the  nation  was  an  unforgiven,  unre- 
pentant nation?  Now  He  is  offered  a  position  of 
Judgeship  by  an  individual.  But  He  will  not  touch 
it,  because  the  litigants  have  greater  difficulties  to 
get  settled  with  regard  to  the  law  of  God  in  the 
heart.  There  can  be  no  easy  or  human  road  to  the 
throne.  It  can  only  be  by  the  way  of  the  Cross,  and 
by  the  will  of  God. 

8.  The  conversion  of  Zacchaeus.  Chap.  xix. 
Here  is  a  simple  scene  of  Divine  compassion  towards 
one  for  whom  no  one  cared  much,  but  rather  hated, 
for  his  connection  with  the  Roman  government.  But 
Jesus  saw  a  human  hungry  heart  underneath;  He 
loved  him,  and  had  wondrous  compassion  on  him. 
The  arrest  of  the  procession,  the  recognizing  the  fact 
that  curiosity  was  an  avenue  to  the  man's  mind  and 
heart,  the  sharp,  short,  emphatic,  business-like  way 


148        St.  Luke:  The  Man  Amongst  Men. 

in  which  Jesus  addressed  him,  the  simple  result  in 
his  obedience,  all  went  to  make  a  profound  impres- 
sion, and  to  result  in  Zacchseus'  conversion  to  God. 
Up  till  that  hour,  the  love  of  money  had  taken  pos- 
session of  his  soul  and  life,  and  the  man  was  good 
for  nothing  else.  How  suddenly  all  was  changed, 
and  the  covetous  man  has  become  a  liberal  man  and 
a  righteous  one,  too. 

9.  And  now  we  come  close  up  to  the  end  of 
the  Hfe  of  the  Saviour  to  notice  some  few  events  that 
have  touched  deeply  the  writer's  heart.  The  weep- 
ing over  Jerusalem.  Chap.  xix.  40,  41.  Those  tears 
of  sorrow  are  nowhere  else  mentioned.  Some  one 
must  have  described  them  to  Luke,  and  made  much 
of  them.  How  He  wept,  when  all  seemed  so  bright 
and  promising !  How  suddenly  the  scene  of  appar- 
ent triumph  changed  to  one  of  almost  appalling  sad- 
ness !  The  compassion  of  the  Lord  is  nowhere  more 
marked  than  in  this  strange  event.  He  knew  the 
fickleness  of  the  crowd.  He  knew  the  intense  hate 
of  the  rulers,  and  how  easily  they  would  influence 
the  multitude  to  disbelieve  Him,  and  disown  Him. 
His  eye  saw  it  all,  not  with  anger,  but  with  infinite 
pity  and  love,  and  with  the  clear  presicience  of  what 
was  only  a  few  years  ofif — namely,  the  overthrow  of 
the  city,  the  fulfilment  of  those  awful  prophecies  in 
Deuteronomy,  and  the  destruction  of  the  national 
life  and  hope.     It  could  not  be  helped.    If  it  could 


St.  Luke:  The  Man  Amongst  Men.         149 

have  been,  it  would  have  been.  But  the  Scripture 
niust  be  fulfilled,  and  there  can  be  no  averting  the 
wrath  of  God  concerning  a  rejected  Messiah,  and  a 
rejected  Holy  Spirit.  He  knew  it;  He  sorrowed 
over  it ;  His  heart  wept  its  true  tears  of  love. 

10.  The  weeping  women.  Chap,  xxiii.  28. 
Such  a  crowd  of  them  recognized  Him  as  the  Bene- 
factor of  their  homes  and  families,  and  were  filled 
with  pity  and  grief.  He  saw  and  heard  it  all,  but 
checked  it  with  His  unexpected  words,  "Weep  not 
for  Me,  hut  weep  for  yourselves."  He  asked  no 
pity,  but  He  longed  for  them  to  be  delivered  from 
impending  judgment.  It  was  the  knowledge  of  their 
state  before  God,  and  the  impending  doom,  that  they 
needed,  and  this  He  would  try  and  convince  them  of. 

11.  The  first  prayer  from  the  Cross.  Chap, 
xxiii.  34.  "Father,  forgive  them,  for  they  know 
not  what  they  do."  Here  again  gushes  from  that 
heart  of  Divine  and  eternal  love  nothing  but  yearn- 
ing for  the  salvation  of  His  bitterest  persecutors. 
His  is  "a  heart  at  leisure  from  itself,"  and  He  pours 
it  out  in  prayer,  when  any  other  heart  would  have 
been  too  much  occupied  with  its  own  awful  woes  to 
have  prayed  for  others. 

12.  The  dying  thief.  Chap,  xxiii.  42,  43.  This 
most  exquisite  and  touching  fact  is  only  found  in 
this  Gospel.    It  was  the  same  Jesus  pouring  out  His 


150        St.  Luke:  The  Man  Amongst  Men. 

heart's  love  and  mercy,  and  with  it  His  power  to 
save  at  the  very  extremity  of  man's  need.  Seeking 
to  save  when  there  was  no  one  to  save  or  pity  Him. 
Snatching  a  trophy  from  the  enemy's  grip  at  the 
last  impossible  moment,  and  triumphing  over  death 
in  death. 

13.  Lastly,  we  notice  the  walk  to  Emmaus 
in  chap.  xxiv.  The  quiet  friendship,  the  tender  in- 
quiry as  to  the  cause  of  sadness,  the  patient  forbear- 
ance with  the  ignorance  of  the  disciples,  the  long 
and  magnificent  exposition  of  the  Scriptures  in  the 
things  concerning  Himself,  the  response  to  the  press- 
ing invitation  to  come  in  and  share  the  evening  meal 
— all  tell  us  of  His  humanity  and  love.  The  Risen 
Lord  is  the  very  same  Jesus.  Then  came  the  sudden 
flash  of  His  true  personality  in  the  act  of  breaking 
the  bread,  the  revelation  of  deity — the  consciousness 
of  His  resurrection  from  the  dead,  and  the  opening 
of  eyes,  heart,  and  understanding. 

The  Miracles. 

An  examination  of  the  miracles  recorded  only  by 
this  writer,  will  add  further  testimony  to  the  vision 
given  of  the  compassion  and  tenderness  that  are  so 
distinctly  characteristic.    They  are  six  in  number : 

I.  The  miraculous  draught  of  fish.  v.  i-ii. 
This  was  His  way  of  paying  for  the  hire  of  Simon 


St.  Luke:  The  Man  Amongst  Men.         151 

Peter's  boat  as  a  pulpit;  and  the  payment  was  like 
Him,  unexpected,  lavish,  and  royal,  and  accompa- 
nied by  an  extra  word  of  blessing :  'Tear  not;  from 
henceforth  thou  shalt  catch  men." 

2.  The  raising  of  the  midozv  of  Nains  son.  vii. 
11-16.  The  details  given  show  His  insight  into 
the  peculiar  sorrow  of  the  widow,  and  it  was  as  if 
He  purposely  timed  His  journey  to  meet  the  funeral 
procession  and  turn  it  back.  He  turned  sorrow  into 
joy,  and  gave  a  garment  of  praise  for  the  spirit  of 
heaviness. 

3.  The  healing  of  the  bowed  woman  in  the  syna- 
gogue, xiii.  11-17.  His  quick  eye  detected  her  in  the 
synagogue  gallery,  and  He  summoned  her  to  the 
front,  that  He  might  lift  the  bondage  of  eighteen 
years,  and  brighten  those  closing  years  with  the 
light  of  God. 

4.  The  dropsy  case.  xiv.  2-4.  This  was  a 
memento  of  a  visit  paid;  how  He  loves  to  leave 
traces  of  His  presence  where  He  has  been  invited 
and  entertained. 

5.  The  ten  lepers,  xvii.  11-19.  An  open-air 
scene;  a  response  to  an  urgent  cry  of  distress,  an 
opportunity  for  showing  the  power  of  God,  and  a 
lesson  in  faith  to  the  disciples. 

6.  Healing  the  ear  of  Malchus.  xxii.  49-53- 
This  was  His  last  act  of  mercy  just  as  the  band  sent 


152        St.  Luke:  The  Man  Amongst  Men. 

to  take  Him  were  tying  His  hands  behind  Him.  He 
cannot  bear  to  see  the  effects  of  the  ill-timed,  hasty 
blow.  He  will  repair  the  damage  of  his  over-zealous 
disciple. 

In  all  His  ways  and  words,  what  tenderness  and 
love  were  displayed,  and  that  true  matchless  human- 
ity through  which  God  was  revealed  to  the  hearts 
of  men  and  women ! 


Chapter  VIII. 
ST.  LUKE :  THE  MAN. 

A  Prophet — Teaching  of  God,  of  Sin  and  of 
Prayer. 

THE  work  of  a  Prophet  is  three-fold:  Forth- 
telling — that  is,  speaking  forth  the  words 
of  another,  in  the  hearing  of  those  for  whom  the 
message  is  meant.  For-telling — that  is,  telhng  for 
another,  on  behalf  of,  and  by  the  command  of, 
another.  Fore-telling — In  the  message  from  God 
there  cannot  fail  to  be  the  element  of  the  future 
introduced.  The  principal  topic  of  a  prophet's  mes- 
sage is  the  relation  of  God  to  sin  and  the  sinner. 
There  will  be  the  attitude  of  God  toward  sin,  and 
toward  the  sinner;  God's  treatment  of  sin,  and  of 
the  sinner;  the  necessity  of  obedience  on  the  part 
of  the  sinner ;  the  results,  to  the  sinner,  of  disobedi- 
ence. The  teaching  will  deal  with.  What  is  man? 
how  has  he  fallen  and  become  helpless  under  sin  ? 

The  Prophet,  the  Man  of  God,  must  be  abso- 
hitely  fearless  in  the  delivery  of  His  message;  He 
must  be  quite  clear  as  to  what  He  has  to  say,  out- 
spoken, and  truthful ;  whilst  He  must  be  thoroughly 
sympathetic  with  the  message  He  brings,  and  with 

153 


154     ^^-  Luke:  The  Prophet  Teaching  Men. 

those  to  whom  He  brings  it.  Much  of  what  He  says 
will  need  explanation ;  it  will  startle  and  puzzle  His 
hearers.  He  moist,  therefore,  be  patient :  ready  to 
explain,  to  repeat,  to  answer  questions.  He  must 
bear  in  mind  that  He  has  not  so  much  to  adapt  His 
message  to-  His  hearers  as  to  teach  them  to  adapt 
themselves  to  His  message,  and  so  be  touched  and 
helped  by  it.  He  must  bring  the  great  thoughts  of 
God  into  human  language^  that  they  may  be  under- 
stood and  believed.  He  must  be  equally  at  home 
with  all  classes  of  society,  not  cringing  to  the  upper 
classes  or  patronizing  the  lower  classes.  He  must 
get  alongside  of  every  one  as  God's  messenger, 
showing  the  same  interest  and  solicitude  for  each 
one  apart  from  social  position.  Has  He  to  reprove, 
rebuke,  exhort  ?  has  He  to  warn,  condemn,  threaten  ? 
It  may  be  more  difficult  amongst  some  than  others ; 
yet  He  must  be  faithful  and  unbiassed.  Has  He 
words  of  s}Tnpai;hy,  advice,  commendation,  encour- 
agement? He  must  show  how  fully  He  enters  into 
God's  reasons  and  gracious  thoughts,  that  He  may 
reflect  somewhat  the  character  of  Him  whose  servant 
He  is. 

How  perfectly  and  naturally  Jesus  did  all  this! 
How  absolutely  at  His  ease  He  was  under  all  cir- 
cumstances, and  how  perfectly  He  adapted  Himself 
to  all  classes;  and  yet  how  absolutely  He  and  His 


vS'^.  Luke:  The  Prophet  Teaching  Men.      155 

message  were  one !  He  never  spoke  as  a  messenger 
merely,  but  always  as  One  who  knew  God  and  the 
meaning  of  His  message. 

The  parables  that  are  fomid  in  this  Gospel  will  il- 
lustrate all  these  features  more  distinctly  than  do  the 
parables  in  St.  Matthew,  whose  group  was  so  dis- 
tinctly dispensatio'nal,  dealing  with  a  very  different 
series  of  truths.  The  kingdom  of  heaven — offered, 
rejected,  in  mystery,  in  manifestation' — may  be  con- 
sidered the  great  topic  of  St.  Matthew's  series  of 
parables.  The  dealing  of  God  with  the  sinner,  and 
of  the  sinner  with  God,  may  be  taken  as  the  subject- 
matter  of  St.  Luke's  parables. 

In  all,  there  are  twenty-two  prominent  parables 
in  this  Gospel,  fifteen  of  which  are  peculiar  to  the 
writer.     The  seven  found  elsewhere  are — 

The  Sower. 

The  Mustard  Seed. 

The  Leaven. 

The  Wine-skins. 

The  Patched  Garment. 

The  Lost  Sheep. 

The  Vineyard  and  Unfaithful  Husbandmen. 

The  first  three  of  these  appear  in  Matt,  xiii.,  and 
the  other  four  seem  to  have  been  isolated  parables, 
suggested  by  special  circumstances,  and  in  some 
cases  appear  to  have  been  repeated  on  diiferent  oc- 


156     St.  Luke:  The  Prophet  Teaching  Men. 

casions.  This  would  be  the  case  with  regard  to  the 
Lost  Sheep,  Mustard  Seed  and  Leaven.  (Compare 
the  accounts  in  the  two  Gospels) . 

The  Key  Verse  of  the  Gospel,  "This  man  receiv- 
eth  sinners,"  will  receive  its  amplification  in  the  way 
He  talks  to  them  about  sin  and  its  forgiveness,  its 
penalty,  its  power,  etc. 

The  following  plan  of  a  group  of  ten  will  best 
serve  to  make  the  suggestion  plain.  They  fall  into 
two  sections  of  five  each,  the  first  five  showing  the 
bright  side  of  sin  forgiven  and  the  consequences; 
the  other  five  showing  the  dark  side  of  sin  un for- 
given, because  unrepented  of,  and  the  results  that 
must  follow.     (See  Diagram  on  page  157.) 

In  studying  these  parables,  it  will  be  essential 
to  carefully  note  the  contexts,  the  circumstances 
that  gave  rise  to  the  teaching.  The  contrast  between 
the  attitude  towards  Him  of  Simon  the  Pharisee 
and  the  sinful  woman  drew  forth  the  story  of  the 
Two  Debtors.  The  scornful  interrogation  by  the 
young  lawyer  as  to  how  to  inherit  eternal  life,  drew 
forth  the  Good  Samaritan,  in  order  to  make  the 
lawyer  think  for  himself  what  should  be  his  atti- 
tude towards'  the  Lord  Jesus.  The  favourite  15th 
chapter,  from  which  more  Gospel  addresses  have 
been  given  than  from  any  other  chapter  in  the  book, 
should  not  be  dissociated  from  the   i6th  chapter. 


JUDGMENT. 


MERCY. 


^    d    w 


i-l      ft 


3        oq" 


w    o    a 


3      2 


3 

3      -^^ 


158     St.  Luke:  The  Prophet  Teaching  Men. 

The  two  seem  to  be  a  continuous  series  of  instruc- 
tions as  to  the  acceptance  and  rejection  of  the  truth. 

Three  classes  of  hearers  are  gathered  round 
the  Teacher,  the  largest  consisting  of  tax-gatherers 
and  sinners,  the  general  crowd  of  careless,  irreligi- 
ous people.  The  second  and  much  sm'aller  group 
was  composed  of  scribes  and  Pharisees — the  re- 
ligious, wealthy,  educated  higher  class,  who  were 
in  control  of  the  affairs  of  the  country — an  exclu- 
sive, proud,  and  unreachable  set,  intensely  opposed 
to  any  change  in  matters  religious,  and  considering 
themselves  to  be  the  guardians  of  divine  truth. 
They  were  the  principal  money-making  people,  un- 
principled in  commercial  matters,  oppressive  and 
grasping.  The  third  group  was  composed  of  the 
inner  circle  of  the  Lord's  disciples,  for  whose  guid- 
ance many  things  were  said  and  done,  that  they 
might  learn  of  Him  the  things  of  God,  as  the  future 
evangelists  and  preachers.  The  Lord,  in  these  chap- 
ters, drew  pictures  of  men  as  He  found  them,  and 
as  they  thought  of  themselves,  not  as  they  ought  to 
have  been. 

The  Portrait  of  Tax-gatherers  and  Sinners. 
He  portrays  them  as  wandering,  helpless,  bewild- 
ered, out  of  sight,  sensuous,  vicious,  wilfully  sin- 
ning; these  features  would  include  all  sorts  before 
Him,  and  amongst  them  the  very  poorest — ^beggars, 


St.  Luke:  The  Prophet  Teaching  Men.      159 

perchance, —  in  whom  might  be  some  faith  in  God, 
some  hope  for  the  future.  All  these  would  easily 
and  eagerly  recognize  themselves  and  one  another 
in  the  rapidly-succeeding  stories. 

The  Portrait  of  the  Pharisees  and  Scribes. 
There  were  "just  persons  that  need  no  repentance" 
in  their  own  estimation.  They  were  like  the  nine 
pieces  of  silver  that  were  apparently  safe,  and  yet 
that  might  be  disturbed  by  the  same  power  that  had 
already  meddled  with  the  one  piece.  They  were 
like  the  elder  son,  who  said,  ''Lo  these  many  years 
do  I  serve  thee,  neither  transgressed  I  ait  any  time 
thy  commandment/'  Such  language  was  familiar 
from  their  lips,  and  the  crowd  of  listeners  would 
instinctively  recognize  the  description  as  fitting  this 
class. 

What  is  the  message  of  the  Gospel  to  the  large 
crowd?  The  patient  seeking  and  yearning  for  them 
as  the  shepherd  for  his  lost  sheep ;  the  diligent  search 
for  the  lost  ones,  as  the  woman  with  her  candle  and 
broom;  the  same  welcome  back  into  the  presence 
of  God  as  that  given  to  the  repenting  son ;  the 
blessed  reception  of  the  poorest  believer  after  death 
into  the  realm  of  Hades,  known  as  ''Abraham's 
bosom."  The  whole  impression  was  that  of  the  love 
of  God  caring  for  the  sinner,  seeking  to  save,  and 
preparing  to  welcome  the  repentant  ones.     Notice 


i6o     St  Luke:  The  Prophet  Teaching  Men. 

the  use  of  the  word  "repent,"  in  the  parables  of  the 
Lost  Sheep  and  the  Lost  Silver,  in  which  there 
could  be  no  such  act  of  the  will,  and  the  illustration 
of  repentance  in  the  Lost  Son,  where  the  word  is 
not  used.  No  wonder  they  "drew  near"  and  that 
He  "received  them."  His  words  melted,  suited, 
cheered  them,  and  at  the  same  time  He  exposed 
the  h^-pocrisies  and  frauds  of  the  ruling  class. 

M^hat  is  the  message  of  God  to  the  Pharisees?  It 
was  the  ruthless  exposure  of  their  practice  versus 
their  profession,  the  "friends"  of  the  elder  brother, 
as  much  outside  the  father's  house  as  the  riotous 
friends  of  the  younger  one.  Then  followed  the  un- 
veiling of  the  religious  practices,  given  in  the  parable 
of  the  Unjust  Steward,  namely,  the  lowering  the 
standard  of  obligation,  reducing  the  amount  of  in- 
debtedness, making  out  that  God  required  too  much, 
in  order  to  gain  friendships  and  make  things  easier 
in  the  future.  Later  on,  the  Lord  accused  them  of 
neglecting  the  weightier  matters  of  law,  righteous- 
ness, and  judgment. 

The  difficulty  in  the  parable  is  the  utterance  of  the 
Lord  in  verse  9:  "And  I  say  unto  you,  Make  to 
yourselves  friends  of  the  mammon  of  unrighteous- 
ness; that,  when  ye  fail,  they  may  receive  you  into 
the  eternal  tabernacles/'  The  words  are  addressed 
to  the  Pharisee  class,  in  what  may  be  called  a  holy 


St.  Luke:  The  Prophet  Teaching  Men.      i6i 

sarcasm,  and  are  not  to  be  taken,  as  so  often  one  has 
heard,  as  an  instruction  to  make  good  use  of  money 
in  this  world,  in  view  of  the  world  to  come.  The 
phrase  "mammon  of  unrighteousness''  indicates 
money  wrongly  gotten,  "tainted  money;"  and  the 
challenge  is,  "Go  on  making  this  if  you  will,  and 
make  friends  by  means  of  it,  for  hereafter  you  and 
your  friends  must  be  together."  Rather  it  would 
point  to  the  fact  that  however  successful  and  pros- 
perous these  men  appear  to  be  in  their  worldly  af- 
fairs, there  will  be  a  place  of  eternal  abode,  after 
this  life,  of  a  very  different  nature;  and  then  the 
Lord  lifted  the  veil  in  the  closing  parable,  and 
showed  the  "eternal  tabernacles"  of  the  prosperous, 
wealthy  Pharisee.  His  profession  of  religion  would 
be  of  no  avail  there.  The  simple  faith  and  repent- 
ance of  a  Lazarus  will  take  him  out  of  his  earthly 
sorrow,  that  has  been  so  utterly  ignored  by  the 
wealthy  Pharisee;  and  now  he  is  comforted,  while 
the  other  is  tormented.  It  was  a  tremendous,  awful 
exposure ;  it  was  scathing  in  its  vehemence,  and 
yet  it  was  the  highest  manifestation  of  love  and 
grace  thus  to  reveal  so  clearly  the  purposes  of  a 
holy  God.  The  Prophet  is  seen  as  the  true  man  of 
God  in  concealing  nothing  for  fear  of  giving  offence. 

A  few  words  on  the  question  of  ''torment"  in  this 
parable.    In  the  Revised  Version,  anguish  is  used  tO 


i62     St.  Luke:  The  Prophet  Teaching  Men. 

translate  the  Greek  word.  This  same  word  is  other- 
wise translated  as  follows :  Matt.  xiii.  6,  ''grievously 
tormented,''  used  of  the  helplessness  of  paralysis; 
^Matt.  xiv.  24,  the  disciples  in  the  boat  were  tossed 
with  the  waves ;  here  is  the  idea  of  restlessness  and 
weariness  in  a  storm  that  no  human  efforts  could 
remedy;  Mark  vi.  48,  toiling  in  rowing,  here  the 
idea  is  the  uselessness  of  effort  in  attempting  to 
make  any  headway  against  the  storm;  no  possibility 
of  getting  out  of  the  circumstances  of  the  storm ;  2 
Peter  ii.  7,  Lot  was  vexed  with  the  filthy  conversa- 
tion of  the  wicked ;  the  spiritual  side  of  the  man  is 
stirred  by  his  surroundings,  which  nothing  on  his 
part  can  alter.  Now  transfer  these  ideas  to  Luke 
xvi.  and  we  get  this  combination  of  helplessness, 
restlessness,  inability  to  alter  painful  circum- 
stances, spiritual  perception  of  surroundings  that 
m.ust  be  endured.  Such  must  be  the  state  of  those 
who  reject  the  truth  of  the  love  of  God  in  Christ. 

Other  matters  are  touched  upon  by  the  perfect 
Teacher,  such  as  the  impossibility  of  a  disembodied 
spirit  ever  returning  to  visit  earth ;  this  fact  is  spe- 
cially needed  in  these  days  of  increasing  spiritual- 
ism. Also  that  a  re-embodied  spirit  would  not  have 
more  weight  over  men's  minds  than  the  Old  Testa- 
ment Scriptures,  "Moses  and  the  prophets."  In  the 
allusion  to  the  Old  Testament  Scriptures,  we  have 


St.  Luke:  The  Prophet  Teaching  Men.      163 

His  authoritative  statement  of  their  value  in  leading 
men  to  God,  and  the  refusal  of  their  authenticity 
and  authority  can  be  replaced  by  no  other  revelation 
or  by  any  speculation. 

The  parable  of  the  Rich  Fool  (Chap,  xii.) 
was  occasioned  by  the  appeal  of  a  man  for  Him  to 
act  as  Judge  in  a  legal  dispute.  By  it,  the  Lord 
brought  out  the  sin  of  covetousness,  with  the  conse- 
quent independence  of  God  in  which  such  a  man 
lives,  and  the  unexpected  interference  of  God  in 
such  an  one's  life.  The  rich  man  has  been  going 
over  his  enormous  gains,  and  making  plans  for 
taking  care  of  the  produce  of  his  estates ;  yet  what 
has  he  done  for  the  success  of  his  property!  He 
could  only  sow  his  seed,  plough  his  ground,  and 
reap  his  harvests — and  between  sowing  time  and 
reaping  time,  what?  GOD — watching  the  fields, 
watering  with  His  dew  and  rain,  warming  and  fructi- 
fying with  His  sun,  and  producing,  by  His  laws  and 
goodness,  the  harvests  that  enrich  the  occupier  of 
the  soil.  The  sin  is  the  practical  atheism  of  the  man, 
the  blotting  out  of  God  from  his  life  and  thought. 
Then  comes  the  sudden  action  of  God  in  the  re- 
moval of  the  man,  and  demanding  an  account  of 
his  life.  It  is  perfectly  fair  and  just  that  thus  He 
should  act,  and  let  the  man  reap  what  he  has  sown. 

In  another  parable,  that  of  the  Barren  Fig-tree 
(Chap,  xiii.)  a  further  lesson  is  taught,  of  great  im- 


164     St.  Luke:  The  Prophet  Teaching  Men. 

portance  for  those  who  preach  the  Gospel.  There  is 
a  popular  impression  that  a  person  can  come  to  God 
at  any  time,  and  He  will  have  mercy ;  that  the  long- 
suffering  of  God  may  be  relied  upon  to  continue  for 
a  Hfetime,  if  not  indefinitely.  Here  the  Prophet 
teaches  that  such  is  not  the  case.  In  the  parable,  it 
is  pointed  out  that  if  a  fig-tree  fails  to  discharge 
the  functions  of  a  fig-tree,  namely,  to  bear  figs,  it 
is  in  the  way,  and  must  be  got  out  of  the  way,  to 
make  room  for  some  other  tree  that  will  bear  fruit. 
Then  come's  the  plea  for  limited  long-suffering: 
''LbrcT,  let  it  alone  this  year  also,  till  I  shall  dig 
about  it,  and  dung  it,  and  if  it  bear  fruit,  well.  But 
if  not,  then  after  that  Thou  shalt  cut  it  down." 
Give  it  one  more  chance  to  fulfil  its  functions,  let 
there  be  mercy,  but  let  it  be  limited  to  one  more  year. 

The  functions  of  a  human  life  are  to  glorify  God, 
and  serve  Him.  If  a  human  life  fails  to  discharge 
thiose  functions,  there  is  no  reason  for  its  continu- 
ance. It  is  only  in  the  way.  There  is'  a  limit  to 
God's  forbearance  and  patience,  a  righteous  limit — 
and  this  should  be  clearly  made  known  to  people. 

The  parable  of  the  Feast  (Chap,  xiv.)  illus- 
trates another  phase  of  truth,  that  God  takes  the  ex- 
cuses made  by  men  for  refusing  His  invitation  as 
the  true  expression  of  their  purpose  and  desire,  and 
acts  accordingly.    He  is  not  prepared  to  give  oppor- 


St.  Luke:  The  Prophet  Teaching  Men.      165 

tunity  necessarily  for  any  reversal  of  the  choice. 
"None  Oif  them  shall  taste  of  my  supper."  The  ex- 
cuses offered  are  accepted  as  £nal,  and  nothing  more 
can  be  done — no  further  invitation  will  be  sent — 
no  apology  can  be  accepted. 

How  solemn  and  necessary  such  teaching  was. 
It  shews  the  love  of  God  in  sending  such  z  mes- 
senger with  such  a  message — that  men  may  have 
a  true  knowledge  of  God's  principles  in  dealing  with 
sinners  against  Him. 

Parables  on  Prayer. 

Some  of  the  parables  already  looked  at  reappear 
in  association  with  Prayer.  The  question  is,  How 
shall  a  sinner  speak  to  God? 

Will  God  hear  and  answer  Prayer  ? 

How  will  He  answer  Prayer?  on  what  terms? 

Prayer  is  vital  to  spiritual  life  and  to  communion 
with  God,  If  sin  has  interrupted  such  communion, 
how  can  it  be  dealt  with,  and  communion  restored  ? 

Jesus,  as  a  man  of  prayer,  is  the  Teacher  on 
Prayer,  and  He  gives  us  not  only  parables,  but 
definite  teaching,  which  will  be  found  scattered 
through  the  Gospels. 

The  other  parables  not  included  in  either  group 
are  the  Parable  of  the  Pounds,  to  teach  the  going 
and  returning  of  the  Nobleman,  the  Lord  Himself, 
and  the  occupation  to  which  He  calls  all  His  serv- 


i66      St.  Luke:  The  Prophet  Teaching  Men. 

ants  during  His  absence.  The  treatment  of  the 
servants  by  the  returning  King  is  to  shew  the  re- 
sponsibiHty  attaching  to  every  Christian,  and  that 
the  position  in  the  glory  of  the  next  Hfe  is  to  be  fixed 
by  the  conduct  of  the  Christian  in  this.  Used  or 
wasted  opportunities  will  procure,  or  lose,  special 
rewards  in  the  administration  of  the  kingdom  in 
the  future. 

The  parables  of  the  Unfinished  Tower  and  the 
Two  Armies  are  to  give  lessons  in  true  discipleship 
as  contrasted  with  nominal  profession  of  such. 

A  Few  Thoughts  on  the  Parables  on  Prayer. 
The  Two  Debtors  is  to  teach  that  God  can  only 
freely  forgive  when  there  is  the  confession  of  ''noth- 
ing to  pay." 

"Nothing  in   my    hands   I    bring; 
Simply  to  Thy  Cross  I  cling." 

How  easily  is  this  sung ;  how  difficult  is  its  prac- 
tice! The  human  heart  cannot  believe  in  God's 
freeness  of  pardon.  "My  thoughts  are  not  your 
thoughts." 

The  Friend  at  Midnight  is  to  remind  us  that 
we  never  have  anything  to  give  to  a  friend  who  is 
"out  of  the  way."  There  must  be  an  immediate  ap- 
peal to  God  for  the  supply  of  the  Bread  of  Life, 
and  He  will  never  be  unwilling  or  unready  to  supply 
it.     The  story  is  in  contrast  with  God's  way  of 


St.  Luke:  The  Prophet  Teaching  Men.      167 

answering,  not  in  comparison.  The  Lord's  Prayer 
preceding  is  the  prayer  for  bread  for  ourselves; 
then  the  story  of  bread  for  others.  God  loves  im- 
portunity ;  we  cannot  be  too  importunate.  He  may 
apparently  refuse,  but  only  to  draw  us  out  in  further 
intercessory  prayer. 

In  the  'I^OST  Son''  there  is,  strictly  speaking,  no 
prayer  at  all.    It  is  only  confession  that  God  needs 
from'  the  sinner  or  the  backslider :  'Tather,  I  have 
sinned"— and  then  the  much  kissing  removed  the 
possibility  of  the  utterance  of  the  prayer  that  had 
been  composed:  ''Make  me  as  one  of  thy  hired  serv- 
ants."   Here  lies  an  important  lesson  to  those  who 
deal  with  anxious  souls.    The  true  position  of  the 
evangelist,  or  worker,  is  that  of  bringing  a  message 
from  God  that  needs  an  answer ;  not  bringing  a  sin- 
ner  to  God  to  present  a  petition  that   needs   an 
answer.     The  Gospel  is  an  offer  of  pardon,  mercy, 
new  life,  etc.     Is   a  sinner  to  ask  for  it  or  say 
whether  he  accepts  it?     Confession,  not  prayer,  is 
needed.     The  one  is  difficult  because   it  involves 
humiliation:  the  other  is  easy  because  it  is  some- 
thing for  a  sinner  to  do.     Prayer  will  come  after 
accepting  mercy,  asking  how  to  use  it,  how  to  live, 
how  to  glorify  God. 

In  this   connection,   notice  the  parable   of   the 
Pharisee  and  Publican.    The  Pharisee  asked  for 


i68     St.  Luke:  The  Prophet  Teaching  Men. 

nothing;  it  was  all  a  statement  of  what  he  was,  or 
was  not,  to  his  own  credit,  by  his  own  attainment. 
He  was  a  self-centred  man,  seeking  nothing  from 
God  as  a  sinner.  On  the  other  hand,  the  Publican 
prayed,  "God,  accept  the  sacrifice  for  me  the 
sinner."  It  was  the  sinner  putting  himself  in  the 
right  position  with  regard  to  the  sacrifice  for  sin, 
namely,  between  himself  and  God,  as  his  only  hope 
or  ground  of  acceptance,  and  then  humbly  calling 
God's  attention  to  the  fact,  and  claiming  the  free 
pardon  and  mercy.    Thus  he  was  "justified." 

Returning  again  to  the  story  of  the  Lost  Son — 
from  this  parable,  or  story,  so  much  is  based  to  prove 
what  is  known  as  the  Universal  Fatherhood  of  God, 
and  that  expiation  for  sin  is  not  necessary  because 
not  here  referred  to  .  If  this  were  the  only  utter- 
ance of  the  Lord,  and  we  had  no  other  teaching, 
all  such  statements  might  be  fairly  inferred.  Let 
us  be  clear  as  to  what  Scripture  teaches  : 

First,  that  God  is  the  Author  and  Creator  of  all 
life,  as  such  in  a  general  sense  "Father."  "We 
are  His  offspring,"  is  the  quotation  from  the  heathen 
poet  that  the  Apostle  Paul  makes  use  of  in  his  ad- 
dress to  the  Athenians,  not  to  prove  the  Fatherhood 
of  God,  but  to  correct  the  wrong  heathen  teaching 
of  the  day,  and  to  prove  to  them  the  one  origin  of 
life,  namely,  God  whom  they  ignorantly  worshipped. 


St.  Luke:  The  Prophet  Teaching  Men.      169 

The  expression  'Tatherhood  of  God"  is,  in  itself, 
misleading.  Christ  came  to  reveal  the  unknown 
fact  that  all  true  believers  in  Him  were,  by  virtue 
of  their  union  with  Him,  ''sons  of  God,"  and  were 
to  know  God  as  their  Father.  He  taught  not  "the 
truth  of  the  Fatherhood  of  God,"  but  the  fact  that 
His  disciples  had  become  children  of  God  by  virtue 
of  the  new  birth,  regeneration.  There — as  declared 
in  St.  John  iii. — is  not  a  returning  of  a  lost  son,  to 
be  re-established  in  the  Father's  house,  but  the  im- 
parting of  an  entirely  new  life,  the  beginning  of  a 
new  relationship,  life  from  God,  life  in  God,  super- 
natural life,  as  distinct  from  the  natural. 

Then,  again,  no  Jew  would  for  a  moment  think 
of  God  pardoning  and  welcoming  a  sinner  apart 
from  a  sacrifice  for  sin.  It  was,  one  might  say, 
unnecessary  to  suggest  it,  so  ingrained  was  the 
truth  that  ''without  the  shedding  of  Blood,  there 
was  no  remission  of  sin."  A  Jew  was  brought  up 
from  infancy  in  the  doctrine  of  expiation  for  sin 
as  the  only  ground  of  pardon.  The  apparent  omis- 
sion of  any  such  doctrine  would  have  caused  no  dif- 
ficulties and  raised  no  question. 

Another  point,  the  parable  is  not  explained  by  the 
Lord  as  being  typical  of  God  the  Father.  It  is  one 
of  a  series  suggesting  how  a  sinner  can  be  sought, 
saved,  found.     If  he  is  helpless,  he  is  sought  and 


170     St.  Luke:  The  Prophet  Teaching  Men. 

saved.  If  he  returns,  he  is  welcomed  and  saved, 
as  a  father  would  welcome  and  entertain  a  returning 
prodigal.  Without  minimizing  the  force  of  the 
Lord's  teaching,  we  must  be  careful  not  to  read  tn 
what  is  not  there.  ''Like  as  a  father  pitieth  his  chil- 
dren, so  Jehovah  pitieth  them  that  fear  Him,"  is 
what  the  Lord  teaches;  not  ''Because  God  is  a 
Father,"  which  is  practically  the  modern  idea. 

The  parables  of  the  Unjust  Judge  and  Pharisee 
AND  Publican  deal  with  the  questions  of  persistent 
prayer  and  prevailing  prayer.  Persistent  prayer 
must  be  offered  always.  There  is  no  such  thing  as 
God  being  wearied  and  troubled  by  our  "continual 
coming."  He  loves  the  frequent  sound  of  the  voice 
of  His  children.  He  is  wearied  by  false  profession 
and  formalism,  not  by  constant  pleading.  See  the 
alterations  in  the  R.  V.,  that  greatly  clear  up  the 
difficulty  of  the  comparison  between  the  widow 
slowly  avenged,  and  not  for  righteousness'  sake,  and 
the  elect,  speedily  avenged,  because  of  God's  "long- 
suffering  over  them."  He  may  appear  dilatory  in 
avenging,  and  that  will  be  because  He  does  not 
measure  time  as  we  do.  He  bears  with  His  people ; 
further.  He  has  fellowship  with  them  in  the  oppres- 
sion they  undergo.  His  long-suffering  means,  there- 
fore, an  entering  into  their  suffering,  not  an  ignor- 
ing of  it,  and  so  the  deliverance  will  be  for  Him 


St  Luke:  The  Prophet  Teaching  Men.      171 

a  greater  gladness  and  glory.  So  pray  on,  pray  on ; 
but  pray  along  the  line  of  God's  revealed  purpose 
and  will,  and  not  like  the  Pharisee,  who  simply  in- 
vestigated his  own  good  points  of  character.  In- 
vestigate God's  character  in  order  to  prevail  in 
prayer. 

In  the  parable  of  the  Feast  (chap,  xiv.),  the 
Lord  brings  out  another  phase  of  prayer  in  the 
reply  of  those  invited,  namely,  "I  pray  thee  have 
me  excused."  This  sounded  apparently  a  polite  ex- 
cuse for  not  accepting.  It  is  treated  as  a  petition, 
meant  in  good  earnest,  and  to  be  fully  answered: 
"None  of  those  men  that  were  bidden  shall  taste  my 
supper."  The  pre-occupation  of  these  men  is  their 
excuse,  and  the  basis  of  their  prayer.  It  is  an  awful- 
ly solemn  fact  that  this  condition  of  things  is  con- 
stantly recurring,  and  that  multitudes  must  find 
themselves  in  the  position  of  being  eternally  ex- 
cluded from  the  Supper  of  Jehovah,  the  feast  of 
joy  in  the  day  of  Resurrection.      (See  page  172.) 

To  summarize  some  of  the  Lord's  teachings  on 
prayer  from  the  Synoptic  Gospels : 

Matt.  vi.  5-14.  Pray  as  a  child,  because  you  are  a 
child  of  the  Father  in  heaven.  Do  not  pray  as  the 
Pharisees,  whose  object  is  ostentation;  nor  as  the 
Gentiles,  who  trust  to  constant  and  aimless  repeti- 
tion. Pray  privately,  simply,  for  what  you  need,  and 
expect  to  be  answered. 


St.  Luke:  The  Prophet  Teaching  Men.      173 

If  you  pray  to  your  Father,  you  must  be  like  your 
Father,  in  the  matter  of  forgiveness,  Matt,  vi.  14. 

In  this  way  recommend  your  Father,  because  if 
evil  parents  know  how  to  give  good  gifts  to  their 
children,  how  much  more  must  you  obtain,  by 
prayer,  from  such  a  Father,  immeasurably  superior 
gifts.  Matt.  vi.  11. 

According  to  the  Lord's  Prayer,  Matt.  vi.  9-13, 
pray  after  this  manner:  Classify  your  subjects  as 
the  Lord  suggested.  Do  not  put  your  needs  first, 
but  put  God's  great  needs  first.  His  Name,  His 
Kingdom,  His  Will,  are  supreme  with  Him,  let 
them  be  supreme  with  you.  They  will  affect  char- 
acter, conduct,  circumstances,  far  more  than  the 
usual  style  of  praying  for  ourselves  first,  and  often 
exclusively.  "Give  us,"  "Forgive  us,"  "Lead  us," 
"Deliver  us"  will  take  care  of  themselves  in  prayer 
when  they  come  in  the  right  place. 

Prayer  according  to  His  Will'  is  a  Divine  neces- 
sity; it  goes  without  saying. 

Prayer  in  Faith  is  another  pre-requisite,  Mark  xi. 
24.  The  faith  must  go  before  the  answer,  and  claim 
it,  and  give  thanks  for  it.  Thus,  faith  will  honour 
God's  character  and  praise  Him  joyfully.  The  usual 
method  is  to  pray  and  wait  for  the  answer,  then  to 
praise  and  give  thanks.  The  Lord  teaches  a  superior 
way:  "Believe  that  ye  have  received."     Any  true 


174     ^i-  Luke:  The  Prophet  Teaching  Men. 

child  that  does  this  will  add  its  grateful  "Thank 
you.'' 

To  such  faith  in  lively  exercise  these  great 
achievements  are  promised : 

1.  That  fig-trees  shall  wither  at  the  bidding  of 
believers,  Matt.  xxi.  21.  The  fig-tree  was  the  repre- 
sentation of  profession  of  spiritual  life  without  any 
fruit.  This  abounds  on  all  sides.  A  withering  of 
such  would  be  a  solemn  exposure  and  a  strange, 
powerful  testimony  to  the  presence  of  God. 

2.  That  a  mountain  should  remove  and  be  cast 
into  the  sea,  Matt.  xxi.  21.  A  mountain  is  a  diffi- 
culty of  long  standing,  and  a  natural  difficulty,  part 
of  the  old  creation.  This  shall  go  before  faith  in 
God.  How  many  of  God's  people  might  begin  now 
to  remove  natural  difficulties,  and  so  make  more 
room  for  the  manifestation  of  the  life  aibundantly. 

3.  That  a  sycamore  tree  shall  be  transplanted 
and  be  cast  into  the  sea,  Luke  xvii.  5,  6.  This  is  a 
growth  of  long  standing.  This,  too,  shall  go  before 
faith  and  prayer.  Habits  long  since  formed  shall 
be  transplanted  into  an  element  that  will  make 
further  growth  impossible.  How  illimitable  are 
these  promises,  and  what  vistas  of  possibility  open 
up  to  the  believing  student  of  God's  Word ! 

A  model  prayer-meeting,  Matt,  xviii.  19,  20.  "If 
two  of  you  shall  agree  ...  it  shall  be  done  ...  for 


St.  Luke:  The  Prophet  Teaching  Men.      175 

where  two  or  three  are  g^athered  together  in  My 
name,  there  am  I  in  the  midst  of  them."  "Two  of 
you" — here  is  the  clue  to  the  blessing  here  promised. 
Two  of  such  praying  people  as  have  been  described 
• — praying  as  children,  like  the  Father,  recommend- 
ing the  Father,  exercising  this  quality  of  faith  that 
afifects  mountains,  fig-trees,  sycamore-trees.  Get 
such  together,  and  the  Lord  will  be  there,  eager  to 
meet  such  dynamic  souls,  entering  so  fully  into  the 
laws  of  His  operations  in  the  world.  Then  comes 
the  "anything"  of  possibility  that  is  in  harmony  with 
His  will.  It  is  a  glorious  outlook,  and  far  beyond 
the  ordinary  thinking  or  expecting  of  believers. 


Chapter  IX. 
ST.  JOHN :  THE  SON  OF  GOD. 

The  Keywords — Messiahship. 

"Behold  the  Lamb  of  God  who  taketh  away  the  sin  of  the  world." 
— ^John  i.  29. 

The  Author. 

THE  writer  of  this  Gospel  was  the  son  of 
Zebedee  and  Salome,  who  was  believed  to 
have  been  the  sister  of  the  mother  of  our  Lord.  If 
so,  John  would  have  been  the  Lord's  cousin.  He 
was  .a  Galilean,  and  had  a  brother  named  James. 
Both  of  them'  were  naturally  of  fiery  temper,  and 
were  surnamed  Boanerges,  the  Sons  of  Thunder. 
John  was  one  of  John  the  Baptist's  disciples,  and  was 
so  impressed  by  the  twice  expressed  sentence :  "Be- 
hold the  Lamb  of  God,"  that  he,  with  Andrew,  fol- 
lowed the  Lord  and  they  became  the  first  disciples. 
Returning  home,  he  was  subsequently  called  from 
the  fishing  industry,  and  became  one  of  the  chosen 
three  who  were  present  at  the  raising  of  Jairus' 
daughter,  the  Transfiguration,  and  the  going  into 
Gethsemane.  The  three  were  also,  with  Andrew,  the 
intei  ested  questioners  on  the  Mount  of  Olives,  as  to 
the  future  events  in  national  history  and  as  to  the 
second  advent.  (Matt,  xxiv;  Mark  xiii.) 
176 


St.  John:  The  Son  of  God — Messiah.      177 

On  three  occasions,  his  impetuosity  flashed  out, 
namely,  when  he  forbade  the  successful  exorcist  to 
continue  his  work  of  mercy,  Luke  ix.  49;  when  he 
asked  permission  to  bring  down  fire  from  Heaven 
on  the  Samaritan  villagers,  Luke  ix.  54,  and  when 
he  sought  for  his  brother  and  himself  right  and  left 
hand  seats  in  the  Messianic  kingdom,  Mark  x.  35. 

It  was  he,  who,  with  Peter,  prepared  the  passover 
supper  in  the  upper  room,  and  subsequently  asked 
who  was  traitor.  He  introduced  Peter  to  the  high 
priest's  palace  during  those  awful  early  morning 
hours  of  the  trial  of  the  Lord.  He  was  present  at 
his  Lord's  crucifixion,  and  led  away  the  mother  of 
the  Lord  to  his  own  home.  He  was  at  the  grave, 
and  was  the  first  to  enter  and  examine  the  phe- 
nomenon of  the  empty  tomb  and  the  way  the  grave 
clothes  were  lying  folded. 

He  was  in  the  last  recorded  fishing  incident  on  the 
Sea  of  Galilee,  and  one  of  the  5CX)  men  present  at 
the  great  meeting  of  men  only  in  Galilee. 

He  was  a  Palestinian  Jew,  and  his  narrative  is 
full  of  Jewish  customs,  of  Jewish  notions  as  to 
Messiah,  of  the  records  of  the  hostility  between 
Jews  and  Samaritans,  and  between  the  Jews  and 
Jesus. 

He  has  taken  particular  notice  of  Old  Testament 
allusions,  and  is  manifestly  struck  with  their  fulfil- 


1/8      St.  John:  The  Son  of  God — Messiah. 

ment,  and  with  the  use  of  them  made  by  the  Lord 
in  His  teaching.  For  instance,  we  find  mentioned, 
the  Brazen  Serpent,  the  Paschal  Lamb,  the  Manna, 
the  Water  from  the  Smitten  Rock,  the  Writings  of 
Moses,  Abraham's  Sacrifice  on  Mount  Moriah. 

He  was  an  eye-witness  of  all  he  records,  and 
gives  the  names  and  particulars  of  many  places  and 
individuals.  It  is  supposed  the  Gospel  was  written 
from  Ephesus,  where  he  was  bishop,  and  the  date 
to  be  between  85  and  90  A.  D. 

THE  TOPIC  OF  THE  BOOK 

is  the  Deity  of  Jesus  of  Nazareth.  Has 
St.  Matthew  traced  Him  as  Son  of  David  and 
Son  of  Abraham?  has  St.  Mark  showed  Him  to  be 
Jehovah's  Servant?  has  St.  Luke  portrayed  Him 
as  the  Son  of  Man,  telling  the  Bethlehem  story  in 
all  its  sweet  wonder,  showing  Him  in  the  Nazareth 
home,  working  as  a  Carpenter  till  He  stepped  out 
into  the  public  ministry?  St.  John,  passing  by  all 
these  details  and  facts,  shows  Him  to  have  been  with 
God  in  the  beginning,  making  all  things,  upholding 
all  things,  and  then  becoming  flesh,  still  God^  always 
God.  , 

From  the  bosom  of  the  Father  he  declares  Him 
as  the  Son  of  God  upon  earth.  Back  to  the  bosom 
of  the  Father  He  goes  after  having  passed  His  death 


St.  John:  The  Son  of  God — Messiah.      179 

and  the  tomb.  But  of  the  Ascension,  John  does  not 
speak  as  do  the  others.  Is  He  gone?  It  is  obvious 
He  is  gone  to  the  Father — nowhere  else  could  He 
go. 

The  Key  Verse  maybe  taken  from  xx.  31.  ''These 
are  written  that  ye  might  believe  that  Jesus  is  the 
Son  of  God,  and  that  believing  ye  might  have  life 
through  His  Name.''   . 

Or  from  xvi.  28,  ''I  came  forth  from  the  Father, 
and  am  come  into  the  world,  again  J  leave  the  world, 
and  go  to  the  Father/'  This  latter  verse,  in  a  very 
interesting  and  unexpected  way,  marks  the  divisions 
of  the  subject-matter  of  the  book  thus: 

1.  /  came  forth  from  the  Father  (i.  1-18),  the 
introduction  to  the  book. 

2.  And  am  come  into  the  world  (i.  19-xii.),  the 
revelation  of  Himself  to  the  world  as  the  ''Word," 
who  "was  God." 

3.  Again  I  leave  the  world  (xii.-xix),  the  reve- 
lation of  Himself  to  the  Disciples,  before  and  after 
the  Cross. 

4.  And  go  to  the  Father  (xx.-xxi.). 

The  second  division  may  be  further  subdivided 
thus: 

(a)  The  Testimony  (i.  19-ii.  12). 

(b)  The  Work  amongst  Jews  (ii.  13-iii.  36). 

(c)  The  Work  amongst  Samaritans  (iv.  1-42). 


i8o      St.  John:  The  Son  of  God — Messiah. 

(d)  The  Work  amongst  Galileans  (iv.  43-54). 

(e)  The  Work  amongst  Mixed  Multitudes   (v.- 
xi.). 

(f)  The  final  words  on  accepting  or  rejecting  the 
testimony  (xii.). 

The  keywords  are  several,  and  each  will  require 
careful  study. 

(i)  "The  Father,"  occurring' 120  times. 

(2)  "Sent,"  occurring  38  times. 

(3)  "World,"  occurring  78  times. 

(4)  "Light,"  occurring  23  times. 

(5)  "Life,"  occurring  40  times. 

(6)  "Witness,"  occurring  47  times. 

(7)  "Sign,"  occurring  17  times. 

(8)  "Believe,"  occurring  99  times. 

(9)  "Verily,  verily,"  occurring  24  times. 

Chapter  Titles. 

A   simple    selection    of   Chapter    Titles    may   be 
adopted,  as  follows : 

I.  Eureka,  "I  have  found." 

II.  Cana. 

III.  Nicodemus. 

IV.  Samaria. 
V.  Bethesda. 

VI.     Bread  of  Life. 
VIL     Feast  of  Tabernacles. 
VIII.     The  Father. 


St.  John:  The  Son  of  God — Messiah.      i8i 

IX.  Blind  man. 

X.  Good  Shepherd. 

XL  Lazarus, 

XIL  Greeks. 

XIIL  Service. 

XIV.  Holy  Spirit. 

XV.  True  Vine. 

XVI.  Comfort. 

XVII.  Prayer. 

XVIII.  Garden. 

XIX.  Cross. 

XX.  Resurrection. 

XXI.  Galilee. 

Among  the  many  lines  of  study,  the  following  are 
suggested :  The  Personal  Interviews ;  the  Messiah- 
ship;  the  "I  am''  Declarations;  the  word,  "Verily, 
verily";  the  Sent  One;  the  Signs;  the  Announce- 
ment concerning  the  Holy  Spirit.  The  Gospel  is 
essentially  for  the  World,  and  yet  it  is  mainly  com- 
posed of  conversations  with  individuals  and 
disciples.  It  is  thus  specially  adapted  to  the  indi- 
vidual, and  to  the  believer,  in  any  part  of  the  world, 
of  any  nationality  in  the  world.  No  book  is  found 
so  popular  in  all  countries,  because  of  its  intensely 
personal  character.  The  Lord  reveals  Himself  so 
closely  and  intimately.  He  has  the  same  things  to 
say  to  individuals  of  similar  position  and  creed  in 
the  world.  They  are  living  words,  they  are  ''spirit/' 
they  are  ''truth/' 


i82      St.  John:  The  Son  of  God — Messiah. 

The  Personal  Interviews: 

I.    38-39    With  John  the  Writer. 
With  Andrew. 
With  Simon  Peter. 
With  Philip,  and  xiv.  8. 
With  Nathaniel. 
With  Nicodemus. 
With   the   Woman   of   Samaria. 
With  the  Nobleman  of  Cana. 
With  the  lame  man  at  the  pool  of 

Bethseda. 
With  the  woman  taken  in  adultery. 
With  the  Blind  Man. 
With  Martha. 
With  Mary. 
With  Lazarus. 

With  the  Greeks  (apparently). 
With  Thomas. 
With  Judas    (not  Iscariot). 
With  Mary  of  Magdala. 
With  Thomas. 
With  Simon  Peter. 

In  studying  the  variety  of  topics  He  handles,  the 
questions  and  difficulties  He  meets,  we  shall  bear  in 
mind  that  around  us  are  people  in  similar  social  posi- 
tions, difficulties  and  perplexities,  who  can  be  helped 
by  His  words.  Let. us  use,  as  far  as  we  may.  His 
method  of  conversation,  always  emphasizing  His 
great  central  topic,  namely,  Eternal  life.  Let  us 
be  disciples,  and  practice  the  lessons,  to  find  how 


I. 

39 

42 

43 

45 

IIL 

I 

IV. 

IV. 

49 

V. 

I-  9 

VIIL 

2-1 1 

IX. 

XL 

20 

XL 

20-27 

XL 

43 

XII. 

20-21 

XIV. 

5 

XIV. 

22 

XX. 

1-12 

XX. 

27-28 

XXL 

15-22 

St.  John:  The  Son  of  God— Messiah.      183 

living  and  up-to-date  are  His  words,  and  how  He  is 
prepared  to  stand  behind  them  and  be  responsible  for 
them,  as  much  now  as  then.  St.  John  proves,  by 
these  narratives,  that  his  opening  statement  is  true 
that  Jesus  is  the  ''Light  of  men;"  the  Light  ''shining 
in  the  darkness."  -^    ,  , 

HE    KNOWS.  > 

In  chapter  ii.  25,  we  find  the  words :  "He  needed 
not  that  any  should  bear  witness  concerning  what 
was  in  man;  for  He  Himself  knew  what  was  in. 
man."  It  is  the  principle  of  this  writer  to  verify 
his  statements  concerning  the  Lord.  The  following 
facts  in  connection  with  some  of  the  personal  inter- 
views will  illustrate  that  He  knew  what  was  in  man. 

(a)  Thou  art  Sinwn,  son  of  Jona  (Chap.  i.  42). 
He  knew  the  family  this  man  belonged  to,  and,  there- 
fore, the  family  history,  and  could  at  once  give  to 
the  man  His  message. 

(b)  Behold  an  Israelite,  indeed,  in  whom  is  no 
guile  (Chap.  i.  47).  He  knew  Nathaniel's  character, 
though  no  one  had  told  Him  anything. 

(c)  Art  thou  a  teacher  in  Israel?  (Chap.  iii.  10). 
He  knew  the  professional  position  of  Nicodemus ; 
possibly  His  visitor  may  have  hoped  to  have  avoided 
recognition. 

(d)  Thou  hast  had  five  husbands,  and  he  whom 
thou  now  hast  is  not  thy  husband  (Chap.  iv.  17). 


184      Sf.  John:  The  Son  of  God — Messiah. 

He  knew  the  secret  sinful  life,  the  conduct  of  the 
woman  by  the  well,  to  her  great  surprise,  and  could 
therefore  deal  with  her  sin  in  pardoning  love. 

(e)  He  knew  he  had  been  a  long  time  in  tJtat  case 
(Chap.  V.  6).  The  lame  man  at  the  Pool  of 
Bethesda  need  give  Him  no  description  of  his  state. 
Jesus  knew  the  condition,  and  dealt  with  it. 

(f)  Ye  seek  Me,  because  ye  did  eat  of  the  loaves 
and  lijere  filled  (Chap.  vi.  26).  Here  He  knew  and 
declared  the  motives  that  brought  the  people  to- 
gether a  second  time,  the  secondary,  disappointingly 
secular  motives,  not  the  desire  for  His  teaching 
about  God  and  life. 

(g)  He  knew  who  should  betray  Him  (Chap.  xiii. 
11).  Treachery  was  no  surprise  to  Him,  though 
an  unspeakable  agony. 

(h)  Thou  knowest  all  things,  Thou  knowest  that 
I  love  Thee  (Chap.  xxi.  17).  The  story  opens  with 
Simon  Peter  and  closes  with  Simon  Peter.  The 
family  first — now  the  heart  of  the  tried,  repentant, 
restored  apostle;  and  the  full  declaration,  ''Thou 
knoivest  all  things." 

What  a  mine  of  comfort  lies  here  for  further  ex- 
ploration. If  He  knew  then,  He  knows  nozv — 
family,  character,  profession,  conduct,  condition, 
motive,  all  things.  If  He  knows.  He  is  not  dis- 
appointed in  His  stumbling  disciples.     The  Good 


St  John:  The  Son  of  God— Messiah.      185 

Shepherd  cares  for  the  sheep,  understands  that  they 
are  but  sheep,  and  can  bear  with  them  accordingly. 
"All  things  are  naked  and  open  unto  the  eyes  of 
Him  with  whom  we  have  to  do."  Trust  Him 
utterly ;  obey  Him  implicitly ;  He  cannot  fail  in  His 
treatment  of  the  need. 

THE   MESSIAHSHIP. 

That  there  should  be  no  question  about  this  in 
the  mind  of  any  readers,  the  apostle  records  the 
mental  impressions  and  the  utterance  of  many  of 
these  with  whom  the  Lord  had  those  personal  inter- 
views. 

(i)  John  the  Baptist  says,  'T  am  not  the 
Messiah,  but  am  sent  to  bear  witness  of  the 
Messiah"  (i.  20).  Again,  "I  saw  and  bare  record 
that  this  is  the  Son  of  God"  (i.  34). 

(2)  Andrew  says:  "We  have  found  the  Mes- 
siah" (i.  41). 

(3)  Philip  says  :  "We  have  found  Him  of  whom 
Moses  in  the  law  and  the  prophets  did  write"  (i.  45)- 

(4)  Nathaniel  says :  "Thou  art  the  Son  of  God, 
Thou  art  the  King  of  Israel"  (i.  49). 

There  is  a  splendid  progression  in  these  records, 
the  personal  perception,  the  fulfilment  of  Scripture, 
the  recognition  of  the  heavenly  and  earthly  titles. 

(5)  The  Woman  of  Samaria  says :  "I  know  that 
Messiah  cometh"  (iv.  25)  ;  and  after  the  statement, 


1 86      St.  John:  The  Son  of  God — Messiah. 

''I  am  He"  (verse  20),  she  goes  out  to  the  men  of 
the  city  with  the  testimony,  "Is  not  this  the 
Messiah?"   (verse  29). 

(6)  The  Men  of  Samaria  :  "Now  we  know  that 
this  is  indeed  the  Messiah"    (iv.  42). 

Presently,  the  opposition  began,  and  the  great 
dispute  was  waged  among  the  Jews  as  to  the 
Messiahship.  The  Jews  sought  to  kill  Him  because 
He  said  God  was  His  Father  (v.  18).  This  was 
the  same  as  claiming  Messiahship.  Again,  "The 
Jews  murmured  because  He  said  I  am  the  Bread  that 
came  down  from  heaven"  (vi.  41).  In  the  midst 
of  the  controversy  came  the  fine  confession  of  Simon 
Peter,  'We  believe  and  are  sure  that  thou  art  the 
Messiah,  the  Son  of  the  Living  God''  (vi.  69) . 

Again  the  opposition  broke  out,  "Do  the  rulers 
know  that  this  is  indeed  the  Messiah?  Many  be- 
lieved— When  the  Messiah  cometh  will  He  do  more 
signs  than  these?"  Others  said,  "This  is  the  Mes- 
siah." Some  said,  "Shall  the  Messiah  come  out 
of  Galilee  ?"  ( vii.  26,  41 ) .  So  the  discussion  went  on 
and  became  more  and  more  severe. 

The  Pharisees  showed  their  determination  to  deny 
His  Deity  by  announcing  that  "If  any  did  confess 
He  was  the  Messiah,  he  should  be  put  out  of  the 
synagogue  (ix.  22)  ;  and  the  blind  man  who  dared 
to  assume  it  and  assert  it,  was  forthwith  put  out, 


St.  John:  The  Son  of  God — Messiah.      187 

and,  as  has  been  said,  "was  flung  into  the  very 
bosom  of  Jesus." 

Then  comes  the  enquiry.  Chap.  x.  24.  "If  Thou 
be  the  Messiah,  tell  us  plainly.''  It  seems  to  un- 
cover the  tumult  of  the  heart  that  so  many  were 
in,  wanting  and  yet  not  wanting  to  know.  National 
hope  was  centred  on  the  Messiah,  but  could  they, 
dare  they,  trust  the  Nazarene.  His  compassion, 
tenderness,  gentleness,  works  of  mercy  could  not 
fail  to  impress  them  with  the  possibility  that,  behind 
that  sorrow-stricken  face  and  worn  appearance, 
there  might  perchance  hide  Deity,  the  hope  of  the 
nation — the  sublime  subject  of  prophecy.  But  alas ! 
for  blind  unbelief  and  sullen  prejudice.  Taught  by 
their  leaders,  the  people  rejected  Him,  while  the 
plea  for  His  death  was,  ''He  made  Himself  the  Son 
of  God''  (xix.  7).  Did  not  the  very  battle  prove 
the  facts  denied?  Would  an  impostor  ever  have 
succeeded  in  arousing  so  much  controversy?  Not 
a  word,  not  an  act,  could  be  cited  as  contradicting 
the  statement :  again  and  again  He  appealed  to  this 
as  confirmation. 

Today  a  similar  controversy  is  raised  over  the 
same  subject,  and  in  many  quarters  the  Deity  is  as 
fully  denied  as  it  was  then.  How  shall  we  meet  it? 
Notice  the  closing  statement  of  Matt,  xxvii.  "Say 
His  disciples  came  by  night  and  stole  Him  while  we 


i88      St.  John:  The  Son  of  God — Messiah. 

slept,"  and  'To,  I  am  with  you  always,  even  unto 
the  end  of  the  age."  It  is  awkward  company  to  be 
in,  that  of  the  consciously  lying  chief  priests,  elders 
and  Roman  soldiers,  heathen  men,  as  against  the 
little  band  of  devoted,  believing,  spirit-filled  men  and 
women,  many  of  whom  laid  down  their  lives  for 
the  Lord  afterwards,  rather  than  deny  His  resurrec- 
tion, and  actual  presence  on  their  behalf  at  the  right 
hand  of  God.  Unbelief  gets  us  always  into  most 
uncomfortable  society. 

._  I   AM. 

Closely  allied  with  the  declaration  of  the  Messiah- 
ship,  is  the  use  of  the  title,  "I  am."  No  title  of 
Jehovah  was  held  in  greater  reverence  than  that  of 
"I  AM;"  no  one  had  ever  dared  to  claim  it,  or  to 
appropriate  it.  It  was  Jehovah's  own  revelation  of 
Himself  to  Moses,  and  through  Moses  to  Israel.  It 
is  hardly  possible  for  us,  in  these  days,  as  Gentiles, 
to  understand  the  awe  and  awfulness  for  a  Jew  to 
hear  a  Galilean  peasant  claim  and  appropriate  the 
title  of  Jehovah.  No  blasphemy  could  exceed  it ;  no 
death  was  too  vile  for  the  blasphemer — stoning, 
crucifixion,  anything  for  such  a  one!  ''Away  with 
Him!  away  with  Him!  Crucify  Him!  crucify  Him!" 

Such  an  ebullition  of  feeling  and  hatred  can  be 
easily  accounted  for  if  J^sus  of  Nazareth  has 
dared  to  quote  that  name  of  God  as  His  own  Name. 


St.  John:  The  Son  of  God — Messiah.      189 

And  yet  there  was  no  hesitation  on  His  part  in  so 
doing.  Strange  that  no  other  evangeUst  refers  to  it. 
Were  they  afraid  to  record  it  ?  would  it  be  too  start- 
Hng  for  their  readers?  While  to  their  faith  it  was 
clearly  revealed,  could  they  expect  others  to  accept 
it?  The  difficulty  must  not  be  minimized  in  our 
minds.  It  was  almost  impossible  for  these  Jewish 
leaders  to  permit  any  such  assertion  in  their  pres- 
ence. But  the  beloved  disciple  seems  to  glory  in 
the  frequent  use,  by  his  Lord,  of  this  title,  and  has 
given  us  many  instances  of  it.  In  our  English  ver- 
sion, the  emphasis  is  unfortunately  very  much  lost 
by  the  insertion,  in  italics,  of  "he"  after  the  words 
"I  am."  But  let  them  stand  without  the  "he,"  and 
note  the  emphasis. 

1.  In  the  conversation  of  the  Messiah  with 
the  woman  of  Samaria,  she  has  admitted  the  truth 
that  Messiah  is  expected  (iv.  26).  To  this  the  Lord 
replied,  "I  am — that  speaketh  unto  thee."  Not 
another  word  escaped  her  lips  in  reply;  it  seems  to 
have  settled  the  difficulty,  and  she  left  her  water- 
pot,  to  go  into  the  city  and  proclaim  Him. 

2.  In  stilling  the  tempest  on  the  lake.  He 
walked  on  the  water  to  the  terrified  disciples,  saying, 
*T  am'"'  (vi.  20)  ;  and  immediately  there  was  a  great 
calm. 

3.  In  the  controversy  that  was  very  fierce 
round  Him,  the  Lord  at  length  said,  "When  ye  have 


190      St  John:  The  Son  of  God — Messiah. 

lifted  up  the  Son  of  man,  then  ye  shall  know  that  I 
am"  (viii.  28).  Here  He  meant  that  His  resurrec- 
tion would  be  the  test  of  His  deity,  of  His  eternity. 
He  unveiled  their  purpose  to  have  Him  crucified; 
He  unveiled  God's  purpose  in  the  resurrection  to 
thus  prove  He  was  truly  Jehovah,  Israel's  God  and 
Saviour. 

4.  A  CONTINUATION  OF  THE  ARGUMENT  leads  Up 

to  the  closing  statement,  "Before  Abraham  was,  I 
AM.  Then  took  they  up  stones  to  stone  Him"  (viii. 
58).  And  no  wonder.  He  had  appeared  before 
them  as  a  Teacher,  a  Preacher,  a  Rabbi :  but  now 
He  asserts  His  Godhead,  and  position  before 
Abraham,  whom  they  had  referred  to  as  their  an- 
cestor. It  was  a  magnificent  challenge  to  their  un- 
belief;  it  was  fatal  to  His  position.  And  He  knew 
it;  at  whatever  cost,  the  truth  must  be  announced, 
that  they  may  be  without  excuse. 

5.  The  band  from  the  chief  priest,  under 
Judas  Iscariot,  had  come  to  arrest  Him;  and  again 
the  beloved  disciple  supplies  details  not  given  else- 
where, bearing  upon  the  Messiahship.  To  the  ques- 
tion, "Whom  seek  ye?"  (xviii.  5-8),  and  the  reply, 
*7esus  of  Nazareth,"  the  Lord  answered  again,  "I 
AM."  It  was  the  one  flash  of  His  Deity  before 
those  hardened  men  that  in  an  instant  struck  them 
to  the  ground.    For  "as  soon  as  He  had  said  unto 


St.  John:  The  Son  of  God— Messiah.      191 

them  /  am,  they  went  backward  and  fell  to  the 
ground." 

Again  the  Lord  put  the  question,  with  the  same 
answer,  and  the  further  declaration,  "I  have  told 
you  I  am/''  and  suffered  themi  to  take  Him.  There 
could  be  no  question,  therefore,  as  to  their  responsi- 
bility in  the  chain  of  events  that  followed  the  arrest. 
There  could  be  no  mistaking  the  divine  power  or 
presence.  What  an  awful  fact  for  that  poor  man 
Judas  to  face,  and  to  face  for  eternity! 

In  addition  to  the  foregoing,  we  find  our  Lord 
using  the  word  "I  am'"'  as  a  prefix  to  seven  fresh 
revelations  of  Himself  to  the  disciples : 

(i)   I  am  the  Bread  of  Life.    vi.  35,  41,  etc. 
^ki      (2)   I  am  the  Light  of  the  World,     ix.  5. 

(3)  I  am  the  Door.    x.  7. 

(4)  I  am  the  Good  Shepherd,     x.  11,  13. 

(5)  I  am  the  Resurrection  and  the  Life.    xi.  25. 

(6)  I  am  the  Way,  the  Truth,  and  the  Life.  xiv.  6. 

(7)  I  am  the  True  Vine.    xv.  i. 

The  dominant  thought  is  Life  throughout :  He  is 
the  Life  here,  the  Life  hereafter;  the  Sustainer  of 
Life,  the  Preserver  of  Life  as  Good  Shepherd;  the 
Entrance  into  Life,  the  Door ;  the  Strength  of  Life, 
the  Vine.  He  expands  the  original  revelation  of 
Jehovah's  Name  as  it  had  never  before  been  ex- 
panded.   He  throws  light  on  God's  character,  heart. 


192      St.  John:  The  Son  of  God — Messiah. 

love,  purpose,  and  promise,  that  men  may  believe 
and  worship. 

It  would  be  of  deep  interest  and  profit  to  trace 
the  types  or  suggestions  in  the  history  of  Jehovah 
with  Israel,  that  point  to  this  sevenfold  declaration. 

THE  V^ORLD. 

Another  feature  of  the  Gospel  is  that  St.  John 
emphasizes  the  relation  of  the  Lord  to  the  World 
as  no  other  writer  does.  The  Lord's  words  in 
reference  thereto  had  deeply  impressed  him,  as 
evidenced  in  his  First  Epistle,  written  some  years 
later,  and  being,  it  is  believed,  later  than  the  Revela- 
tion, and  therefore  the  last  communication  of  the 
Lord  through  the  Holy  Spirit  to  the  Church  while 
in  the  world.  In  the  epistle,  there  are  twenty-three 
mentions  of  this  word,  in  connection  with  its  prince, 
principles,  attitude  towards  God,  spirit,  treatment 
of  God's  people,  and  ''lying  in  the  wicked  one." 
The  apostle  gives  no  hint  of  subjugation,  or  con- 
version, or  improvement,  so  long  as  the  Prince  of 
Darkness  is  at  liberty  and  holds  possession  of  the 
World. 

In  the  Gospel,  the  word  occurs  78  times,  42  of 
which  are  found  in  chapters  xiii.-xviii. 

The  main  statements  in  the  Gospel  are  as  follows : 

The  world  was  made  by  Him,  and  was  ignorant 
of  Him  when  He  came  to  it.     Chap.  i.  10. 


St.  John:  The  Son  of  God — Messiah.      193 

The  sin  of  the  world  was  that  which  drew  Him 
from  heaven,  that  He  might  be  the  Lamb  of  God 
to  bear  it  away,  and  thus  redeem  the  world  for 
God.    i.  29. 

The  love  of  God  for  the  world  was  shown  in 
giving  His  Son.     iii.  16. 

But  He  only  encountered  the  hatred  of  the  world, 
vii.  17.  Ignorance  first,  then  sin,  then  hatred,  then 
death. 

He  speaks  to  the  world — not  to  the  Jewish  nation, 
not  to  disciples  merely;  hence  the  imperishable 
Scriptures  must  be  translated  into  all  languages, 
and  be  distributed  throughout  the  world.  Chap, 
viii.  26.  (How  far  are  we  in  harmony  with  the 
Lord's  mind,  and  statement,  and  purpose,  and  are 
we  helping  in  the  circulation  of  His  Word?) 

The  Light  of  the  world.  Chap.  ix.  5.  He  found 
only  darkness,  and  would  Himself  be  light. 

The  judgment  of  the  world  an  absolute  necessity. 
Chap.  xii.  31. 

The  Prince  of  this  world — its  Ruler — cannot  be 
ignored,  for  His  principles  hold  sway,  and  must  be 
dealt  with.     xii.  31. 

In  the  last  prayer  before  the  Cross,  how  the  world 
is  upon  His  heart,  although  there  comes  that  mys- 
terious sentence,  "I  pray  not  for.  the  world/'  His 
prayer  is,  however,  "That  the  wQrld  ma^  believe, , , 


194     ^f-  John:  The  Son  of  God — Messiah. 

that  the  world  may  know."  Chap.  xvii.  21,  23. 
How  shall  the  world  believe  and  know?  Only 
through  the  lives  and  testimonies  of  disciples  after 
the  Lord  shall  have  left  and  the  Holy  Spirit  shall 
have  come. 

The  world  will  be  too  small  a  hook-case  to  con- 
tain the  volumes  that  might  be  written  of  the  works 
and  words  of  Jesus.  Chap.  xxi.  25.  How  stupen- 
dous must  that  life  be,  how  various  those  energies, 
how  infinite  the  Person !  Not  the  Son  of  God  ?  not 
from  heaven  ?  not  the  Risen  Lord,  the  Eternal  Son  ? 
How  absurd  and  impossible  such  statements  and 
conclusions. 

"Thou  art  the  Son  of  God/' 

verily^  verily. 

This  prefix  is  another  special  feature  of  the  nar- 
rative, and  is  peculiar  to  St.  John.  It  introduces 
some  of  the  greatest  utterances  of  the  Lord,  that 
men  might  heed  Him  and  obey  His  word. 

Chap.  iii.  3,  5 :  Introduces  the  great  declaration 
concerning  the  necessity  of  the  new  birth,  if  any 
would  see  or  enter  the  kingdom  of  God. 

Chap.  iii.  1 1 :  Affirms  the  absolute  accuracy  of  the 
Lord's  words ;  they  are  most  solemnly  put  by  Him 
above  dispute. 

Chap.  V.  19:  Announces  the  dependence  of  the 
Son  upon  the  Father  in  all  things. 


St.  John:  The  Son  of  God — Messiah.      195 

Chap.  V.  24,  25 :  Two  great  declarations  as  to  how 
to  obtain  eternal  life  and  hearing  the  voice  of  the 
Son  of  God. 

Chap.  vi.  26 :  The  disclosing  of  the  impure  motives 
of  the  crowds  that  flocked  around  Him;  He  was 
not  in  any  danger  of  being  deceived  by  their  pres- 
ence and  led  to  any  false  issues. 

Chap.  vi.  32,  47,  53 :  Life  alone  can  be  main- 
tained through  feeding  on  Him  as  the  true  Bread 
of  Life. 

Chap.  viii.  34:  Sin  is  a  master — not  something 
that  can  easily  be  thrown  off.  This  is  one  of  the 
most  solemn  and  important  of  the  Lord's  state- 
ments. 

Chap.  viii.  51:  Declares  the  perfect  security  of 
him  who  keeps  the  Lord's  word ;  it  is  a  great  utter- 
ance on  the  powerlessness  of  death. 

Chap.  viii.  58:  Is  His  magnificent  assertion,  "Be- 
fore Abraham  was,  I  am." 

Chap.  X.  17:  In  these  two  verses,  He  declares  His 
relation  as  "Shepherd,"  and  "Door"  into  the  sheep- 
fold,  and  thus  asserts  His  personal  responsibility 
for  the  security  of  those  committed  to  Him. 

Chap.  xii.  24 :  He  is  nearing  the  end  of  His  public 
ministry;  the  shadows  of  the  cross  are  beginning 
to  fall  across  His  soul,  and  He  declares  the  great 


196      St.  John:  The  Son  of  God — Messiah. 

truth  of  life  through  death,  under  the  symbol  of 
the  corn  of  wheat. 

In  chap,  xiii.,  there  will  be  found  four  words  of 
His  with  this  introduction ;  and  in  the  great  closing 
discourse  in  the  upper  room,  on  the  night  of  the 
betrayal,  He  declares,  in  xiv.  12,  the  great  future 
of  the  believing  disciple  in  the  matter  of  service.  In 
xvi.  20,  He  speaks  of  the  turning  of  the  future 
great  sorrow  into  joy,  and  in  xvi.  23,  of  the  purpose 
to  answer  prayer. 

This  great  group  may  be  arranged  in  different 
ways,  and  will  make  an  important  pattern  of  truth 
proceeding  from  the  great  Teacher's  lips  as  the  Son 
of  God.  We  need  have  no  doubt  of  the  accuracy 
and  power  of  these  w^ords  of  His.  They  will  stand 
the  test  of  all  human  enquiry,  and  be  found  the 
veritable  Rock  of  Divine  Truth  for  the  believer  in 
all  time. 


Chapter  X. 
ST.  JOHN:   THE  SON  OF  GOD. 

The  Signs. 

THE  gospel  opens  with  the  statement,  "In  the 
beginning  was  the  Word — and  the  Word  was 
God.  All  things  were  made  by  Him,  and  with- 
out Him  was  not  anything  made  that  was  made.  And 
the  Word  was  made  flesh  and  dwelt  among  us."  It 
appears  to  be  a  principle  of  this  writer  to  illustrate 
his  statements  concerning  the  Lord  by  a  narrative  of 
such  facts  as  will  confirm  them.  Is  He  the  Word  ? 
Then  what  He  says  will  come  to  pass  on  earth  as 
well  as  in  the  past  aeons  of  creation.  Were  all 
things  made  by  Him  ?  Then  He  can  act  as  Creator 
now  as  well  as  of  old.  Therefore,  if  the  Word  be 
made  flesh,  and  dwells  among  men,  there  will  be 
clear  proofs  of  His  being  the  Word  that  was  from 
the  beginning,  in  that  what  He  says  will  be.  Again 
he  says,  "In  Him  was  Life."  This  will  also  be 
proved  by  the  signs  He  will  work.  For  did  He  not 
Himself  say,  "I  am  come  that  they  might  have  life, 
and  that  they  might  have  it  abundantly?"  The 
seven  signs  recorded  are,  with  two  exceptions,  only 
found  in  this  gospel.  They  are  given  in  a  certain 
197 


198     St.  John:  The  Son  of  God — His  Signs. 

order,  and  it  would  appear  that  this  order  is  de- 
signed to  teach  the  beHever  his  own  history,  as  he 
shall  listen  to  his  Lord.  Then,  again,  there  are, 
as  already  pointed  out,  seven  special  declarations 
of  His,  prefaced  with  the  two  great  Jehovistic 
words,  "I  am,"  and  these  seven  fit  over  the  seven 
signs  with  a  beautiful  accuracy.  Further,  we  shall 
note  that  these  signs  wrought  by  the  Word  are 
unaccompanied  by  the  working  of  His  hand,  as  so 
distinctly  recorded  in  the  group  found  in  St.  Mark's 
gospel. 

In  the  R.  V.,  the  word  "signs"  has  replaced  the 
word  "miracles."  The  word  occurs  17  times,  and 
should  be  carefully  looked  up.  These  signs  were 
never  wrought  to  produce  faith,  but  to  confirm 
faith.  It  was  not  the  Lord's  desire  ever  to  work  a 
wonder  in  order  to  startle,  or  to  create  surprise, 
or  draw  a  crowd,  or  make  any  sensation. 

First  Sign.  ii.  i-ii.  The  water  made  wine.  This 
is  the  beginning  of  miracles  wrought  in  Cana  of 
Galilee.  It  was  in  a  private  house;  it  was  symbolical 
of  all  He  would  do,  namely,  supply  what  is  lacking 
in  human  lives  and  hearts.  Throughout  Scripture, 
wine  is  used  as  a  symbol  of  joy.  "They  wanted 
wine"  conveys  to  us  the  fact,  They  wanted  joy.  All 
earthly  festivities  lack  joy.  It  never  lasts  out,  it 
runs  short.     Only  the  Lord  Jesus  can  supply  the 


St.  John:  The  Son  of  God — His  Signs.      199 

lacking  element,  and  it  is  always  fortunate  if  the 
hosts  have  had  the  wisdom  to  invite  Him  to  be 
present  among  the  guests.  In  the  narrative,  we 
find  that  His  mother  made  known  to  Him  the  need 
that  had  arisen,  and  then  said  to  the  servants, 
''Whatsoever  He  saith  unto  you,  do  it."  This  has 
been  called  the  Gospel  of  the  blessed  Virgin  Mary. 
It  is  a  gospel,  for  the  secret  of  all  joy  and  blessing 
is  obedience  to  His  word  and  will.  His  first  word 
is,  "Fill  the  waterpots  with  water."  These  were 
large  jars  that  had  been  used  for  the  customary 
ablutions  for  the  guests,  and  so  large  had  the  mar- 
riage party  been,  that  these  jars  were  empty.  It 
seemed  an  unnecessary  thing  to  order,  but  for- 
tunately those  servants  were  devoid  of  the  modern 
habit  of  questioning  and  discussing  every  order 
before  obeying  it,  and  they  immediately  did  what 
was  enjoined.  Then  came  the  second  command 
from  His  lips,  "Draw  out  now  and  bear  unto  the 
governor  of  the  feast."  This  needed  greater  faith 
than  did  the  first.  But  the  servants  have  learned 
well  their  first  lesson,  "WHATSOEVER  He  saith 
unto  you,  do  it."  And  they  had  the  courage  and 
faith  to  draw  off  some  of  that  water  into  the  wine 
vessels,  as  though  it  were  wine.  What  would  the 
governor  say  if  he  were  offered  water  as  if  it  were 
wine?     The  change  did  not  take  place  apparently 


200     St.  John:  The  Son  of  God — His  Signs. 

till  they  were  literally  pouring  from  the  vessel  into 
the  drinking  cup,  and  THEN  it  was  wine,  and 
such  good  quality  as  to  call  forth  the  remark  as  to 
its  goodness.  This  is  the  great  introductory  sign. 
He  has  come  to  give  joy.  Do  what  He  commands, 
for  He  is  the  Word  that  was  from  the  beginning, 
and  there  will  be  fulness  of  joy. 

Second  Sign.  iv.  46-54.  The  nobleman's  son 
healed  of  fever.  In  this  case,  the  father  has  come 
seeking  the  Lord's  help  in  the  words,  ''Sir,  come 
down  ere  my  child  die."  After  a  brief  conversation, 
the  ''Word"  speaks,  "Go  thy  way,  thy  son  liveth." 
This  is  the  gift  of  life.  It  is  the  beginning  of  joy. 
How  the  arrval  of  a  new  life  gives  joy  to  a  family. 
There  is  no  joy  like  it  in  the  Tiuman  experience. 
The  fever  may  be  suggestive  of  the  destructive 
power  of  sin,  and  only  His  word  can  counteract  it. 
The  father,  on  his  return,  finds  that  the  very  hour 
when  the  words  were  spoken,  the  boy  recovered. 
What  joy  for  the  sick  boy!  what  joy  for  the  father, 
for  the  mother,  for  the  servants',  for  all  the  house- 
hold !    They  all  shared  it. 

Third  Sign.  v.  1-9.  The  impotent  man  cured. 
What  is  life  without  strength?  Life  is  given,  but 
He  will  give  life  abundantly.  This  third  sign,  then, 
is  to  illustrate  the  expansion  and  development  of 
life.    How  does  He  do  this?    He  only  speaks.  First 


St.  John:  The  Son  of  God— His  Signs.     201 

He  says,  "Dost  thou  will  to  be  made  whole?"  The 
lame  man,  like  most  men,  is  unable  to  give  a  straight 
answer  to  a  straight  question,  and  begins  to  talk 
round  the  matter.  Then,  without  more  loss  of 
time,  the  Lord  says,  ''Rise,  take  up  thy  bed  and 
walk."  He  did  not,  as  in  some  other  cases,  take 
him  by  the  hand.  The  sign  is  to  illustrate  that  He 
is  the  "Word"  still,  and  that  He  expects,  nay  de- 
mands, obedience,  and  with  that  comes  the  enabling 
power.  In  this  case,  there  is  joy,  the  joy  of  abound- 
ing life. 

Fourth  Sign.  vi.  1-13.  The  Hve  thousand  fed. 
How  can  strength  be  maintained?  Only  by  food. 
So  this  next  recorded  incident  will  illustrate  this  fact. 
He  who  has  given  life  and  strength,  will  now  give 
food  to  maintain  it ;  not  in  any  scant  measure.  The 
great  crowd  has  as  much  as  it  can  eat,  and  then 
there  is  bread  enough  and  to  spare,  for  it  is  "the 
Father's  house"  they  are  gathered  into.  Notice, 
again,  the  method  of  His  blessing.  He  first  en- 
quires what  there  is,  and  then,  having  taken  the 
boy's  little  basket  full  of  five  barley  cakes  and  two 
small  fishes.  He  blesses  them  and  then  gives  to 
the  disciples,  with  the  command  to  distribute  it 
amongst  the  people.  There  is  nothing  done,  only 
someithing  said.  All  is  so  quiet,  so  simple,  so  easy — 
the  words  of  thanks  to  the  Father,  the  words  of 


202     St.  John:  The  Son  of  God — His  Signs. 

command  to  the  disciples,  and  the  great  multitude 
satisfied.  Was  there  not  joy  here  also?  Is  it  not 
parallel  with  the  first  sign?  Does  not  all  He  says 
happen  and  accomplish  that  which  ministers  joyf 

Fifth  Sign.  vi.  14-21.  Stilling  the  Storm.  Here 
we  see  the  disciples  in  danger,  surrounded  by  a  tem- 
pest which  is  frightening  them,  for  they  are  power- 
less against  it  all.  To  them,  in  the  fourth  watch 
— 'that  is,  between  three  and  six  in  the  morning — 
comes  Jesus  walking  on  the  water,  and  He  says,  ''It 
is  I,  be  not  afraid,"  and  to  the  storm,  "Peace;  be 
still."  Immediately  Creation  hears  the  voice  of  its 
Creator,  and  obeys.  The  "Word,"  Who  made  all 
things,  hushes  the  warring  elements  by  His  pres- 
ence. Was  not  this  joy  to  those  troubled,  toiling 
men?  So  He  teaches  that  the  life  He  gives  He 
will  also  defend  and  watch  over,  preserving  from 
all  evil,  and  caring  for  it  that  He  may  again  and 
again  give  the  fulness  of  joy. 

Sixth  Sign.  ix.  Opening  the  eyes  of  the  blind 
mmi.  In  the  opening  chapter  is  the  statement  that 
the  Life  is  the  Light.  Here  John  shews  us  an  ex- 
ample of  this.  This  man,  born  blind,  unexpectedly 
comes  into  contact  with  Him  Who  is  the  Life,  and 
learns  it  by  finding  He  is  the  Light.  Those  blind 
eyes  cannot  remain  so  in  His  presence.  But  how 
does  He  handle  him?    Apparently,  there  is  a  de- 


St.  John:  The  Son  of  God — His  Signs.     203 

parture  from  the  method  which  has  been  suggested 
as  pursued,  namely,  working  by  His  word  only.  He 
makes  clay  with  His  spittle,  and  anoints  the  eyes  of 
the  man,  accompanying  it  with  the  word,  *'Go, 
wash."  This  act  was  in  no  way  necessary  to  pro- 
duce the  blessing.  May  it  not  have  been  to  let  the 
man  know  the  Lord  had  full  sympathy  with  his 
state,  and  then,  to  give  him  an  object  in  obeying 
the  command  to  wash  ?  It  was  apparently  to  stimu- 
late his  faith  and  obedience.  The  blessing  lay  in 
the  man's  obedience  to  the  Lord's  word.  For  he 
went  and  washed,  and  came  seeing.  Is  there  not 
wonderful  joy  for  him  in  this  sudden  opening  to 
him  of  a  new  world?  The  effect  upon  him  is  that 
he  becomes  a  worshipper.  This  is  the  occupation 
of  all  who  have  life,  and  life  abundantly.  Worship 
is  to  be  the  business  here  and  hereafter. 

Seventh  Sign.  xi.  Lazarus  raised  from  the  dead. 
This  last  of  the  series  is  the  culmination  of  joy,  the 
greatest  display  of  His  power.  Three  utterances 
fall  from  His  lips  :  First,  ''Take  ye  away  the  stone." 
Then  after  prayer  to  the  Father,  "Lazarus,  come 
forth."  Then  he  that  was  dead  came  forth,  bound 
hand  and  foot  with  grave  clothes,  whereupon  Jesus 
said,  "Loose  him,  and  let  him  go."  Three  words  of 
command  demanding  obedience  from  those  to  whom 
they  were  addressed,  and  then  the  joy  broke  forth 
in  the  resurrection. 


204     St.  John:  The  Son  of  God — His  Signs. 

Against  these  seven  signs,  let  us  put  the  seven 
great  I  am  declarations. 

First  Sign.  Water  made  mine,  i  am  the  true 
VINE.  He  will  always  turn  the  ordinary  of  our  life 
into  the  extraordinary  of  His  life  given  to  us.  From 
the  true  vine,  always  the  best  wine. 

Second  Sign.  The  hoy  restored,  i  am  the  way, 
THE  TRUTH,  AND  THE  LIFE.  He  had  Said,  "Go  thy 
WAY,  thy  son  liveth,"  and  the  father  found  it  was 
the  TRUTH  that  the  Lord  had  spoken. 

Third  Sign.  The  impotent  man  had  lain,  for 
many  years,  in  his  helplessness,  waiting  for  some 
one  to  put  him  into  the  pool  of  Bethesda,  but  he 
had  got  no  further  than  the  porch.  When  the 
Son  of  God  came  along,  He  put  him  into  the  pool 
of  blessing,  for  He  can  say,  i  am  the  door,  by  me 
if  any  man  enter  in  he  shall  be  saved. 

Fourth  Sign.  The  five  thousand  fed  is  followed 
by  the  exposition  of  His  own  words,  i  am  the  bread 
OF  LIFE,  and  he  that  eateth  Me,  he  shall  live  by  Me. 

Fifth  Sign.  Stilling  the  tempest.  It  was  dark 
and  stormy,  and  the  disciples  were  alone,  for  He 
had  gone  away  up  the  mountain  to  spend  the  night 
in  prayer.  Has  He  forgotten  them?  Does  He  not 
know  what  is  happening  to  them?  Yes;  for  He 
says,  I  AM  THE  good  shepherd,  and  know  my  sheep. 
The  darkness  and  the  light  are  both  alike  to  Him. 


St.  John:  The  Son  of  God — His  Signs.     205 

He  is  not  far  off,  after  all,  but  near  enough  to  help 
andl  save. 

Sixth  Sign.  Opening  the  blind  eyes.  In  this 
case,  He  says,  i  am  the  light,  and  so  the  enHght- 
ened  soul  can  follow  Him  and  never  again  walk 
in  darkness. 

Seventh  Sign.  Raising  Lazarus,  i  am  the  res- 
urrection AND  THE  LIFE.  Looking  oucc  morc  over 
this  group  of  pictures,  do  we  not  see  how  they  are 
the  history  of  Christ's  work  in  each  one  who  believes 
in  Him?  Life,  Strength,  Food,  Deliverance,  En- 
lightenment to  make  us  worshippers,  and  then,  the 
last  act  of  all — Resurrection.  This  is  the  last  thing 
He  will  have  to  do  for  us  here  below.  'The  Lord 
Himself  shall  descend  from  heaven  with  a  shout. . . 
and  the  dead  in  Christ  shall  rise  first."  He  began 
His  first  series  at  a  marriage  feast  on  earth.  Will 
He  not  begin  His  second  series  of  signs  at  another 
marriage  feast,  namely,  at  the  ''marriage  of  the 
Lamb,"  and  to  this  series  there  shall  be  no  end  ?  An 
ever-increasing  manifestation  of  His  power  and 
glory,  as  the  Son  of  God,  shall  follow,  and  we  shall 
go  no  more  out  from  His  presence.  That  will  be 
FULNESS  OF  JOY  indeed. 

THE   WITNESS-BEARING. 

Another  feature  of  the  Gospel  is  that  the  Deity 
of  the  Lord  is  proved  by  the  testimony  of  witnesses. 


2o6     St.  John:  The  Son  of  God — His  Signs. 

and  confirmed  by  the  working  of  signs.     The  four 
great  witness-bearers  are: 

1.  The  Father,  v.  37. — He  bore  witness  at  the 
baptism,  when  John  the  Baptist  heard  the  voice  from 
the  excellent  majesty,  ''Thou  art  My  beloved  Son." 

2.  The  Spirit,  xv.  26. — He  has  come,  as  pre- 
dicted, and  He  is  daily  bearing  witness  of  the 
crucifixion  and  resurrection,  and  that  He  is  the  Son 
of  God. 

3.  The  Scriptures,  v.  39. — "They  bear  witness 
of  Me."  His  appeal  to  written  Scripture  was  fre- 
quent as  the  reason  for  what  He  said  and  did.  They 
proved  His  Deity  to  the  devout,  pious  believer. 

4.  The  Works,  v.  36. — His  acts,  miracles,  habits 
of  life,  Ways  of  living,  all  went  to  prove  that  He  was 
the  Son  of  God  from  heaven.  If  this  fourfold  testi- 
mony were  rejected,  nothing  remained  to  appeal  to; 
it  was  enough,  it  was  more  than  enough. 

Yet  in  addition,  the  writer  gives  a  list  of  ten  men 
and  women  who  bore  testimony  to  His  Deity,  from 
John  the  Baptist,  in  chap,  i.,  to  Thomas'  magnificent 
utterance  in  chap,  xx.,  "My  Lord  and  my  God.''. 
Could  all  these  be  inventions  of  the  apostle,  or  of 
s'ome  other  writer  unknown?  Is  not  the  evidence 
overwhelming  that  this  could  be  none  other  than 
the  Son  of  God? 


Chapter  XI. 

ST.  JOHN:    THE  SON  OF  GOD. 

The  Sent  One — the  Lamb  of  God. 

the  sent  one. 

THE  one  reason  the  Lord  gives  for  all  He  says 
and  does  is  that  He  is  sent  of  the  Father. 
The  whole  responsibility,  therefore,  of  His  words 
and  actions  travels  back  to  Him  that  sent  Him.  This 
is  true  concerning  the  smallest  minutiae  of  His  life. 
He  has  never  acted  independently.  He  has  never 
quoted  a  line  of  Scripture  except  under  the  conscious 
bidding  of  the  Father  and  the  guidance  of  the  Holy 
Spirit.  This  applies  not  merely  to  what  this  writer 
narrates,  but  to  every  utterance  and  to  every  act. 
Admit,  for  a  moment,  the  possibility  of  inaccuracy, 
of  mistaken  application  of  an  Old  Testament  Script- 
ure, and  where  are  we  landed?  Certainly  in  a  far 
greater  difficulty  than  that  of  accepting  every  state- 
ment of  His  as  absolute  truth,  unmixed  with  im- 
agination, fable  or  ignorance.  Behind  Him  is  God 
the  Father ;  in  Him  is  God  the  Holy  Spirit ;  through 
Him  is  the  revelation  of  the  love  and  truth  of  God 
to  all  who  will  believe  Him.  He  is  the  Word,  who 
was  God. 

207 


2o8  St.  John:  The  Sent  One. 

Two  statements  are  made  by  the  Apostle  John 
in  reference  to  His  being  the  Sent  One,  one  in  iii.  17, 
"God  sent  not  His  son  into  the  world  to  condemn 
the  world,  but  that  the  world,  through  Him,  might 
be  saved";  the  other  in  iii.  34,  "For  He  Whom 
God  hath  sent  speaketh  the  words  of  God."  Here 
are  two  announcements :  the  purpose  in  His  being 
sent,  to  save  the  world,  and  the  message  He  delivers 
being  the  very  words  of  God.  This  being  so,  the 
Lord  constantly  makes  the  appeal  to  faith  in  His 
message  and  in  Himself.  There  is  no  ground  for 
doubt  or  unbelief.  Thus,  in  v.  24,  "He  that  heareth 
My  Word  and  believeth  in  Him^  that  sent  Me  hath 
eternal  life." 

V.  38.    "Whom  He  sent,  Him  ye  believe  not." 

vi.  29.  "This  is  the  work  of  God  that  ye  believe 
on  Him  Whom  He  hath  sent." 

X.  36.  "Say  ye  of  Him  Whom  the  Father  hath 
sanctified  and  sent  into  the  world.  Thou  blasphem- 
est,  because  I  said  I  am  the  Son  of  God  ?" 

xi.  42.  "Because  of  the  people  that  stand  by,  I 
said  it,  that  they  may  believe  that  Thou  hast  sent 
Me." 

xvii.  21.  "That  the  world  may  believe  that  Thou 
hast  sent  Me." 

xvii.  23.  "That  the  world  may  know  that  Thou 
hast  sent  Me." 


St.  John:  The  Sent  One.  209 

xvii.  25.  "These  have  known  that  Thou  hast 
sent  Me." 

Another  declaration  He  makes  is  His  absolute 
dependence  on  and  submission  to  the  Father. 

iv.  34.  "My  meat  is  to  do  the  will  of  Him  that 
sent  Me." 

V.  30.  'T  seek  not  Mine  own  will,  but  the  will 
of  Him  that  sent  Me." 

vi.  38.  "I  am  not  come  to  do  Mine  own  will,  but 
the  will  of  Him  that  sent  Me." 

vi.  57.  "As  the  living  Father  hath  sent  Me  and 
I  live  by  the  Father." 

vii.  16.  "My  teaching  is  not  Mine,  but  His  that 
sent  Me." 

ix.  4.  "I  must  work  the  works  of  Him  that  sent 
Me." 

xii.  49.  "I  have  not  spoken  of  Myself,  but  the 
Father  which  sent  Me;  He  gave  Me  a  command- 
ment what  I  should  say  and  what  I  should  speak :" 

xii.  50.  "Even  as  the  Father  said  unto  Me,  so  I 
speak." 

xiv.  10.  "The  words  that  I  speak  unto  you,  I 
speak  not  of  Myself,  but  the  Father  that  dwelleth 
in  Me,  He  doeth  the  works." 

In  thus  dedaring  the  divine  origin  and  authority 
of  His   words  and  works,  He  can  appeal  to  the 


2IO  St.  John:  The  Sent  One. 

Father  for  confirmation  by  testimony  or  witness- 
bearing.    To  this  He  refers  in  the  following  texts : 

V.  36.  "The  works  that  the  Father  hath  given 
Me  to  finish,  the  same  works  that  I  do,  bear  witness 
of  Me  that  the  Father  hath  sent  Me." 

V.  37.  "Andi  the  Father  Himself  that  hath  sent 
Me  hath  borne  witness  of  Me," 

viii.  18.  ''The  Father  that  sent  Me  beareth  wit- 
ness of  Me." 

A  further  group  of  texts  S'hows  the  unbroken 
communion  between  the  Father  and  the  Son : 

vii.  18.  ''He  that  seeketh  His  glory  that  sent 
Him,  the  same  is  true,  and  no  unrighteousness  is 
in  Him." 

vii.  28.     "He  that  sent  Me  is  true." 

vii.  29.     "I  am  from  Him  that  sent  Me." 

vii.  33.     "I  go  unto  Him  that  sent  Me." 

viii.  16.  "I  am  not  alone,  but  I  and  the  Father 
that  sent  Me." 

viii.  29.  "He  that  sent  Me  is  with  Me:  the 
Father  hath  not  left  Me  alone." 

After  studying  such  a  collection  of  statements, 
new  force  will  be  added  to  the  closing  words  xx.  21, 
"As  the  Father  hath  sent  Me,  so  send  i  you.''''  Do 
we  understand  the  position?  Do  we  accept  the 
equipment  ?  Do  we  take  up  the  work  and  the  testi- 
mony, regardless  of  the  consequences  to  ourselves  ? 


St,  John:  The  Sent  One.  211 

Do  we  believe  in  the  ''presence,"  so  that  we  can  say, 
"I  am  not  alone?" 

To  review  the  subject  in  a  few  words: 

The  Lord  was  upholding  all  things  in  creation  by 
the  word  of  His  power,  for  by  Him  all  things  were 
consisting.  He  was  the  Master  Workman  (Prov. 
viii.  30,  R.  V.,)  diligent,  competent,  responsible. 
But  the  time  came  when,  at  the  Father's  bidding. 
He  should  give  up  all  work,  with  its  glory  and 
honour,  and  come  in  the  likeness  of  man,  to  under- 
take an  altogether  different  work — that  of  making 
atonement  for  sin. 

For  this  He  was  set  apart  by  the  Father,  and  by 
Him  filled  with  the  Holy  Spirit.  This  is  the  mean- 
ing of  "sanctified,"  in  John  x.  6.  No  idea  of  unholi- 
ness  is  attached  to  the  phrase;  simply  the  idea  of 
one  set  apart,  fitted,  filled,  for  the  carrying  out  of  a 
divine  plan  in  and  for  the  world,  to  accomplish 
which.  He  relinquished  the  position  hitherto  oc- 
cupied. 

When  the  work  was  about  to  be  accomplished, 
He  prayed,  "Father,  glorify  Thou  Me  with  the 
glory  which  I  had  with  Thee  before  the  world  was." 
He  prayed  to  be  received  back  into  the  position 
originally  occupied  by  Him.  When  He  ascended, 
how  superb  the  welcome  back !  how  magnificent  the 
acclamiations  of  the  unf alien  heavenly  hosts ! 


212  5"^.  John:  The  Sent  One. 

"behold  the  lamb  of  god." 

This  statement  of  John  the  Baptist  must  have  pro- 
duced much  thought  and  stirring  expectation  in  the 
minds  of  pious  and  well-taught  Jews.  The  use  of 
the  word  L{imb  would  naturally  turn  their  minds 
back  to  the  occasions  in  their  ceremonial  law,  when 
the  lamb  was  to  be  offered  in  sacrifice.  Each  of  these 
would  suggest  some  phase  of  divine  requirement 
met  by  divine  command  and  provision,  and  used 
as  such  by  faith.  The  great  sentence  falling  from 
the  preacher's  lips  would  prove  to  be  the  answer,  at 
last  to  the  question  of  Isaac  to  his  father  Abraham, 
when  going  up  to  Mount  Moriah,  as  found  in  Gen. 
xxii.  7,  8,  'Where  is  the  lamb  for  the  burnt- 
offering  f'  To  this  Abraham  had  replied,  ''God  will 
provide  Himself  a  lamb;"  and  all  down  the  centuries 
that  Lamb  of  God's  providing  had  been  waited  for, 
and  watched  for,  by  succeeding  generations  of  be- 
lievers. At  length,  the  announcement  rang  out — 
Behold!  Look  !  there  is  the  Lamib  of  God — the  Lamb 
predicted,  foreshadowed,  fore-ordained — who  will 
take  away  the  sin  of  the  world.  It  was  startling,  as- 
tonishing !  Who  ever  dreamt  of  the  morld's  sin  being 
taken  away?  This  thought  was  the  thought  of  God, 
higher  than  the  highest  Jewish  expectation  or  dream. 
How  the  Baptist  must  have  meditated  upon  the 
Scriptures  that  would  suggest  to  his  mind  the  work 


St.  John:  The  Sent  One.  213 

and  atonement  of  the  Coming  One !  How  he  would 
group  text  with  text,  as,  led  by  the  Spirit,  he  was 
being  prepared  for  his  great  mission. 

Seven  different  occasions  are  found  in  which  the 
lamb  of  old  wias  used  in  sacrifice. 

1.  The  Passover  Lamb,  Exod.  xii. — This  was  the 
greatest  fact  in  past  Jewish  history.  It  was  the  re- 
demption of  the  nation  from  Egyptian  bondage  and 
degradation.  Now  has  come  the  Lamb  of  God  to 
redeem  the  world  fromi  sin's  bondage,  a  far  wider 
horizon  line  of  blessing  than  Jews  had  dared  to 
imagine. 

2.  The  Daily  Burnt-offering  Lamb,  Exod.  xxix. — 
Morning  and  evening  this  sacrifice  was  offered, 
throughout  the  year.  It  would  form,  the  constant 
reminder  of  God's  protection  and  watchfulness  over 
His  people,  for  whose  welfare  He  had  made  Himself 
responsible.  So  again  is  suggested  One  who  has 
come  to  be  the  watchful  Saviour  of  His  redeemed. 

3.  The  Peace-offering  Lamb,  Lev.  iii. — This  sac- 
rifice was  a  special  illustration  of  communion. 
Jehovah's  portion  was  first  presented  and  offered 
on  the  altar.  The  remainder  was  partaken  of  by 
the  priest  and  the  offerer,  and  thus  the  whole  was 
consumed  in  the  presence  of  God.  Christ  is  the 
meeting-place  between  God  and  the  worshipper: 
"He  is  our  Peace." 


214  ^^'  John:  The  Sent  One. 

4.  The  Sin-off ering  Lamb,  Lev.  iv. — Under  cer- 
tain circumstances,  a  lamib  was  to  be  brought  by 
the  individual  for  his  sin  against  God. 

5.  The  Trespass-offering  Lamb,  Lev.  v. — And  in 
a  similar  way,  for  individual  trespass,  a  lamb  was 
to  be  offered,  and  thus  expiation  was  made  for  sin. 
It  is  to  Christ  the  individual  sin  must  be  confessed, 
day  by  day,  that  communion  with  God  may  be  main- 
tained. While  the  world's  sin  has  been  taken  away, 
and  in  this  is  included  the  individual's  sin,  yet  there 
is  need  for  daily  confession  and  dealing  definitely 
with  the  Lord  over  special  acts  of  sin. 

6.  The  Lamb  for  the  cleansing  of  the  Leper, 
Lev.  xiv. — In  the  ceremony  for  the  cleansing  of  the 
leper,  a  lamb  was  to  be  offered  as  a  sin-ofifering. 
This  ceremony  was  one  of  restoration  to  place  and 
position  in  the  camp.  The  disease  had  attacked  a 
man ;  he  had  been  isolated ;  prayed  for ;  cured  prob- 
ably by  divine  interposition,  and  then  had  to  be  cere- 
monially cleansed,  and  thus  re-introduced  to  the  con- 
gregation. 

7.  The  Wave-sheaf  Lamb,  Lev.  xxiii. — All  the 
foregoing  ceremonies  have  depicted  death — the 
death  of  the  lamb  for  sin.  In  this  last  ceremony, 
resurrection  was  set  forth  by  the  presentation  of 
the  first  ripe  sheaf  of  barley  to  God,  the  first  fruits 
of  the  harvest.     With  it  was  ofifered  the  lamb  for 


St.  John:  The  Sent  One.  215 

the  sin-offering,  thus  connecting  death  and  resur- 
rection. 

Putting  all  these  seven  typical  scenes  together, 
there  will  be  found  a  full  expansion  of  "Behold  the 
Lamb  of  God!" 


Chapter  XII. 

THE  CLOSING  WEEK— THE  CRUCIFIXION 
AND  SUPERSCRIPTION. 

EACH  Portrait  of  the  Lord  closes  with  the 
account  of  the  Crucifixion,  Resurrection  and 
Ascension.  Without  these  stupendous  facts,  no 
blessing  could  come  to  a  lost  world.  The  King 
rejected  must  die  on  behalf  of  the  nation  that  has 
spurned  Him,  in  order  that  He  hereafter  may  be 
able  to  assert  His  rights  to  rule,  based  on  redemp- 
tion. 

The  Servant,  so  patient,  devoted,  successful, 
winsome,  must  be  removed  by  death,  His  min- 
istry refused,  His  love  rejected;  but  that  He  might 
the  more  effectually  serve  and  save,  for  it  is  written, 
"The  Son  of  man  came  not  to  be  ministered  unto, 
but  to  m.inister,  and  to  give  His  life  a  ransom  for 
many."  He  will  die  as  the  ransom^  for  all,  and 
thus  perform  the  most  wonderful  service. 

The  Son  of  man,  compassionate,  tender,  faithful, 
sympathetic  and  at  any  one's  disposal,  must  be  re- 
jected at  the  hands  of  man,  who  will  prefer  Barabbas 
the  murderer  to  Jesus  the  Saviour,  and  He  must 
die,  that  He  may  still  "receive  sinners  and  eat  with 
them/*  and  they  hereafter  be  received  by  Him  in  His 
216 


The  Closing  Week.  217 

own  home  and  sit  down  redeemed  and  cleansed  at 
His  table. 

The  Son  of  God  came  from  the  bosom  of  the 
Father,  the  Word,  who  was  God,  who  was  the 
Lamb  of  God,  and  though  revealing  the  glory  of 
God  in  the  grace  of  God,  must  bear  tne  sin  of  the 
world,  and  be  made  the  curse.  He  can  only  save 
by  shedding  His  blood  and  giving  His  life  a  ransom. 
St.  John  records  perhaps  the  most  startling  state- 
ment of  His  concerning  His  death,  in  the  words 
of  X.  17,  18,  "Therefore  doth  My  Father  love  Me, 
because  I  lay  down  My  life  that  I  might  take  it 
again.  No  man  taketh  it  from  Me,  but  I  lay  it  down 
of  Myself :  I  have  power  to  lay  it  down,  and  I  have 
power  to  take  it  again ;  this  commandment  have 
I  received  from  My  Father." 

He  died  not  as  an  example,  not  as  a  martyr,  not 
having  His  life  cut  ofif  by  the  hatred  and  malice  of 
His  foes;  but  because  He  laid  it  down  for  the  sin 
of  the  world.  All  the  elements  of  human  hate  and 
cruelty  were  there,  brought  to  the  surface  by  the  op- 
portunity afforded  in  His  yielding  Himself  to  the 
will  of  God  and  to  the  purpose  that  had  been  agreed 
upon  before  the  world  was. 

He  lived  the  life  pourtra3^ed,  that  He  might  die. 
He  died  that  He  might  forgive  sin.  He  rose  from 
the  dead  that  He  might  be  able  to  save.  He  ascended 


2i8  The  Closing  Week. 

that  He  might  impart  His  victory,  through  the  Holy 
Spirit,  to  all  believers. 

In  this  chapter,  we  shall  seek  to  put  clearly  the 
order  of  the  main  events  of  the  closing  week,  and 
then  look  into  the  different  trials  to  which  the  Lord 
was  subjected  ere  the  final  word  was  uttered,  '"Let 
Him  be  Crucified." 

Jesus,  six  days  before  the  Passover,  came  to 
Bethany  (John  xii.  i).  As  Passover  fell  upon  the 
14th  of  the  month,  this  opening  date  would  be  the 
8th  Nisan.  "There  they  made  Him  a  supper."  The 
place  was  the  well-known  house  of  Martha,  Mary 
and  Lazarus,  and  here  the  anointing  took  place,  by 
Mary,  that  raised  the  storm  of  indignation  as  to  the 
waste  of  money  upon  Him. 

The  next  day  would  be  Sabbath  Day — His 
last  quiet  day  on  earth,  the  lull  before  the  tremen- 
dous storm  that  was  about  to  burst  upon  Him.  How 
that  day  was  spent,  and  where,  is  unrecorded: 
whether  He  attended  any  synagogue  service  or  not. 
Probably  it  was  spent  alone  with  God  in  the  deep 
outpouring  of  His  soul  before  the  Father  ere  He 
went  to  finish  that  stupendous  work  that  would  se- 
cure the  eternal  Sabbath  Day  for  His  redeemed 
ones. 

The  loth  Nisan  was  the  day  of  the  Triumphal 
Entry,  commemorated  as  Palm  Sunday  in  Church 


The  Closing  Week.  219 

festivals.  All  four  writers  describe  it :  Matt.  xxi. 
i-ii,  Mark  xi.  i-io,  Luke  xix.  29-40,  John.  xii.  12- 
19.  It  was  the  only  temporary  gleam  of  sunshine, 
the  one  brief  national  recognition  of  His  Messiah- 
ship,  fulifilling  Zechariah's  prophecy,  and  so  soon 
crushed  by  the  stern  attitude  and  the  remorseless 
hatred  of  the  Pharisees  and  the  other  leaders  of 
national  life.  The  day  was  full  of  incident,  how- 
ever :  the  desire  of  the  Greeks  to  see  Him,  the  Lord's 
utterances  in  connection  therewith,  the  clear  state- 
ment as  to  His  approaching  death,  the  Voice  from 
heaven,  sounding  like  a  peal  of  thunder  in  the  ears 
of  the  people. 

The  nth  Nisan  found  Him  again  in  Jerusalem, 
the  day  opening  with  the  withering  of  the  fruitless 
fig-tree.  Matt.  xxi.  18-22,  Mark  xi.  12-14. 

The  1 2th  and  13th  Nisan  were  the  last  two  days 
of  His  public  ministry,  when  He  delivered  the  clos- 
ing parables,  and  the  solemn  woes  on  the  Pharisees. 
We  cannot  say  how  much  can  be  apportioned  to 
each  of  these  days.  The  accounts  are  found  in 
Matt,  xxi.-xxv.,  Mark  xi.  27-xiii.,  Luke  xx., 
xxi.  He  farewelled  the  temple,  never  again  to  re- 
enter it  (Matt,  xxiii.  39),  and  gave  the  disciples, 
on  the  Mount  of  Olives,  the  foreview  of  the  future 
of  the  city,  temple  and  nation,  concluding  with  the 
parables  of  Matt.  xxv. 


220  The  Closing  Week. 

It  was  probably  on  the  morning  of  the  13th 
that  He  sent  Peter  and  John  into  the  city  to  make 
preparations  for  the  Passover.  In  the  evening,  they 
all  met,  after  6  p.  m.,  and  ate  the  Passover  Supper, 
thus  conforming  to  the  Old  Testament  regulations, 
that  the  supper  was  to  be  eaten  between  the  two 
evenings,  that  is,  according  to  Jewish  reckoning, 
between  6  p.  m.  of  the  13th  and  6  p.  m.  of  the  14th. 
The  suggestion  we  make  is  that  the  Lord  partook 
of  Passover  between  6  and  9  p.  m.  on  the  evening 
of  the  13th,  while  the  populace  kept  Passover  Supper 
between  3  and  6  of  the  afternoon  of  the  14th.  The 
details  of  this  Passover  Supper  and  subsequent  dis- 
courses, together  with  the  institution  of  the  Lord's 
Supper,  will  be  found  in  Matt.  xxvi.  17-35,  Mark 
xiv.  12-31,  Luke  xxii.  7-38,  John  xiii.-xvii. 

About  midnight,  the  Lord  and  the  disciples  ar- 
rived at  Gethsemane,  the  agony  and  conflict  took 
place,  the  betrayal  by  Judas  and  the  arrest,  between 
probably  the  hours  of  12  and  3  a.  m.,  Matt.  xxvi.  36- 
56,  Mark  xiv.  32-52,  Luke  xxii.  39-53,  John 
xviii.  1-12. 

The  Trials. — How  oft£H,  and  before  what  trib- 
unals was  the  Lord  tried? 

I.  Before  Annas,  John  xviii.  13.  No  details  are 
given  of  what  transpired  then.  It  was  probably 
very  short  and  hurried,  for  Annas  at  once  sent  Him 
on  to  Caiaphas,  the  acting  High  Priest. 


The  Closing  Week.  221 

2.  Before  Caiaphas,  Matt.  xxvi.  57-75;  Mark 
xiv.  55-75 ;  Luke  xxii.  54-62.  During  this  trial  oc- 
curred Peter's  denial  in  the  courtyard,  and  the 
scourging  on  the  face  with  rods  in  the  High  Priest's 
palace.  This  was  the  fulfilment  of  Isaiah  Hi.  14, 
"His  visage  was  more  marred  than  any  man's."  At 
this  trial,  the  witnesses  appeared  with  their  false 
testimony,  in  which  no  two  agreed,  and  then  came 
the  adjuration  by  the  High  Priest  as  to  His  being 
the  Son  of  God.  On  His  declaration  that  He  was, 
the  smiting  and  scourging  followed,  as  before  men- 
tioned. Thus  the  second  trial  ended,  which  was  in 
preparation  for  the  appearing  of  the  prisoner  before 
the  Sanhedrim. 

3.  Before  the  Council^  or  Sanhedrim,  Luke 
xxii.  66-71.  Shortly  before  6  a.  m.,  the  Lord  was 
taken  before  the  Council,  over  which  Caiaphas,  as 
High  Priest,  presided.  This  accounts  for  a  repeti- 
tion of  some  of  the  questions  and  answers.  Only 
St.  Luke  gives  the  account  of  this  trial.  The  object 
aimed  at  was  gained,  namely,  an  accusation  of  blas- 
phemy for  saying  He  was  the  Son  of  God,  with 
which  to  take  Him  before  Pilate,  the  Roman  gover- 
nor, and  so  secure  His  condemnation. 

4.  Before  Pilate,  John  xviii.  28-32.  This 
writer  gives  us  the  account  of  the  first  appearance 
before  Pilate,  and  tells  how  the  accusation  failed, 


222  The  Closing  Week. 

and  the  termination  of  the  trial  by  the  order,  "Take 
ye  Him  and  judge  Him  according  to  your  law."  He 
perceived  at  once  that  the  accusation  was  religious 
and  not  political.  Therefore  he  had  no  jurisdiction, 
and  was  evidently  glad  to  get  rid  of  the  case  so 
summarily. 

5.  Before  Pilate  a  second  time,  John  xviii.  33- 
38;  Matt,  xxvii.  11-14;  Mark  xv.  1-5;  Luke  xxiii. 
1-4.  'Then  Pilate  entered  into  the  judgment  hall 
again,  and  called  Jesus,  and  said  unto  Him,  'Art 
Thou  the  king  of  the  Jews?'  "  The  conclusion  of 
this  trial  was  the  verdict,  'T  find  no  fault  in  this 
man,"  Luke  xxiii.  4.  At  this  point,  the  fury  in- 
creased tenfold,  and  in  the  fierce  rage,  the  accusers 
mentioned  the  word  Galilee:  "He  stirreth  up  the 
people,  teaching  throughout  all  Jewry,  beginning 
from  Galilee  to  this  place."  Again  the  Jewish  party 
was  foiled.  Nothing  in  contravention  of  Roman 
law  had  been  brought  forward,  nothing  proved,  and 
Pilate,  glad  to  get  the  case  clear  of  his  court,  sent 
Him  to  Herod,  the  king  of  Galilee,  who  was  then 
in  Jerusalem. 

6.  Before  Herod,  Luke  xxiii.  7-12.  This  part  of 
the  proceedings  is  noticed  only  by  this  writer,  and 
he  gives  us  very  few  details.  In  fact,  little  could 
have  been  said.  He  was  questioned  severely,  but  not 
an  answer  could  be  extracted  from  Him.     Wit- 


The  Closing  Week.  223 

nesses  there  were  none ;  chief  priests  and  scribes  ve- 
hemently accused  Him,;  but  through  it  all,  nothing 
was  proved.  In  vain  did  they  seek  for  some  word 
from  His  own  lips  which  might  incriminate  Him. 
Mockery  and  insult  were  heaped  upon  the  silent 
sufferer;  dumb  He  must  be,  if  any  are  to  be  saved; 
speech  will  clear  Him,  but  cannot  clear  sinners.  So 
"He  was  led  as  a  lamb  to  the  slaughter,  and  as  a 
sheep  dumb  before  her  shearers.  He  opened  not 
His  mouth."  The  verdict  at  the  end  of  this  trial 
was,  "Nothing  worthy  of  death  is  done  unto  Him." 
Again  all  the  charges  have  failed,  and  the  case  is 
thrown  once  more  on  Pilate. 

7.  Before  Pilate  for  the  third  time.  Matt,  xxvii. 
16-21 ;  Mark  xv.  6-14;  Luke  xxiii.  13-18;  John  xix. 
1-8.  Again  the  case  is  re-opened,  and  Pilate  has 
recourse  to  the  custom  of  releasing  a  prisoner  at 
the  Passover  feast,  hoping  in  this  way  to  get  rid  of 
the  difficulty  he  is  in.  He  knows  perfectly  well  that 
there  is  nothing  whatever  that  can  be  fairly  dea.It 
with  under  Roman  law.  Yet  he  knows  equally  well 
that  an  acquittal  will  render  him  so  thoroughly  un- 
popular as  to  threaten  the  retaining  of  his  position 
under  the  Emperor  of  Rome.  He  will  do  anything 
he  can  to  conciliate  the  roused  populace,  and  yet  he 
wants  to  save  his  prisoner  from  the  fury  of  the 
nation. 


224  The  Closing  Week. 

The  siig-gestion  Pilate  made  again  failed  to  ac- 
complish the  purpose  desired,  and  this  seventh  trial 
ended  with  the  cry,  ''Not  this  man,  but  Barahbas !" 
At  this  stage,  a  most  iniquitous  and  inhuman  order 
was  given.  Coupled  with  the  release  of  Barabbas 
was  the  order  to  scourge  Jesus.  This  was  the  in- 
fliction of  thirty-nine  lashes,  by  two  Roman  soldiers, 
on  the  bare  back,  with  thongs  of  leather,  into  which 
sharp  bits  of  brass  or  other  metal  were  interwoven. 
The  crowning  with  thorns  was  added  to  this  awful 
punishment;  the  blindfolding  and  the  striking  with 
rods,  accompanied  by  all  the  vile  insult  that  hard- 
hearted heathen  soldiers  could  invent;  and  yet  the 
end  had  not  quite  come.  No  sentence  had  been  de- 
livered by  the  tribunal,  no  accusation  had  been 
proved.  Pilate  held  his  hand,  not  knowing  what 
turn  events  might  take,  and  most  probably  secretly 
hoping  that  the  awful  scourging  and  accompanying 
treatment  would  satisfy  the  malicious  hunger  of  the 
people.    But  it  could  not  thus  be. 

8.  Before  Pilate  for  the  fourth  time.  In  John 
xix.  8, 9,  we  read,  "When  Pilate  therefore  heard 
that  saying  ('He  made  Himself  the  Son  of  God'),  he 
was  the  more  afraid,  and  went  again  into  the  judg- 
ment hall,  and  saith  unto  Jesus,  Whence  art  Thou?" 
He  is  compelled  once  more  to  re-open  the  trial,  and 
almost  succeeds  in  delivering  Him,  for  verse  12  tells 


The  Closing  Week.  225 

us,  'Trom  thenceforth,  Pilate  sought  to  release 
Him." 

But  a  new  cry  is  started' — no  longer  a  religious 
one,  but  a  political  one — "If  thou  let  this  m'an  go, 
thou  art  not  Caesar's  friend,"  and  "We  have  no  king 
but  Caesar."  The  claim  to  kingship  that  is  brought 
up,  and  the  apparently  new  ground  for  investigation 
and  action,  brings  matters  to  a  climax.  Pilate 
trembles  for  his  position,  and  without  much  delay 
gives  the  final  verdict,  "Let  Him  be  crucified." 

A  careful  study  of  the  different  accusations  and 
pleas  brought  forward  will  bring  out  very  strongly 
the  hatred  and  deceit  of  the  human  heart  in  its 
antagonism  to  God.  It  is  "desperately  wicked,"  and 
nowhere  is  this  more  manifest  than  a>t  the  Cross. 
Yet 

"The  love  of  God  is  stronger 
Than    the    measure    of    man's    mind," 

Through  it  all,  and  above  it  all,  towered  that  stu- 
pendous love  that  made  atonement  for  the  very  sins 
that  were  being  committed  in  the  sentencing  of  Jesus 
to  the  cross. 

Sin,  Satan,  Death  press  near 

To  harass,  and  appall; 
Let  but  my  bleeding   Lord  appear 

Backward  they  go  and  fall. 

He  hell,  in  hell,  laid  low, 

Made  sin.   He   sin  o'erthrew; 
Bowed   to   the   grave,    destroyed   it   so. 

And  death,  by  dying,  slew. 


226  The  Closing  Week. 

Bless,   bless  the   Conqueror  slain. 

Slain  by  Divine  decree; 
Who   lived,    who   died,    who   lives  again 

For  thee.    His  saint,    for  thee. 

And  all  down  the  centuries  has  rung  the  great  song 
that  shall  ring  on  for  eternity,  *'God  forbid  that  I 
should  glory  save  in  the  cross  of  my  Lord  Jesus 
Christ." 

THE   SUPERSCRIPTION. 

Not  one  of  the  four  evangelists  gives  the  full  text 
of  the  Superscription.  The  Roman  custom  was  to 
nail  over  the  head  of  the  executed  criminal  his  name 
and  crime,  so  that  all  spectators  might  see  who,  and 
what,  he  was. 

Bearing  in  mind  what  has  been  said,  in  previous 
chapters,  as  to  the  reasons  for  each  gospel  being 
written,  we  may  trace  a  further  confirmation  in  the 
wording  of  this  part  of  the  story  of  the  Cross. 

St.  Matthew  calls  this  His  accusation  (xxvii. 
37),  and  states  it,  ''This  is  Jesus,  the  King  of  the 
Jezvs."  His  was  the  gospel  for  Jews,  and  the  gospel 
of  the  kingdom  specially.  He  has  given  the  story  of 
the  birth,  the  heralding,  the  attack,  His  teaching  the 
laws  of  the  kingdom,  proving  His  power  as  King, 
the  official  rejection  as  King  and  denunciation  as  a 
blasphemer.  Naturally,  the  accusation  will  be  that 
of  claiming  to  be  the  King  of  the  Jews,  for  which 


The  Closing  Week.  227 

He  is  suffering  the  death  penalty  under  the  sentence 
of  the  Roman  government. 

St.  Mark  writes  of  "The  superscription  of  His 
accusation"  (xv.  26)  thus,  ''The  King  of  the  Jews." 
He  has  pourtrayed  the  Servant  of  Jehovah,  working 
through  that  strenuous  short  period,  heahng,  help- 
ing, saving,  teaching,  praying  and  loving.  And 
now  over  the  cross  stands  the  simple  truth  in  the 
shortest  phrase,  which  has  been  made  the  reason 
for  the  cutting  short  of  that  life  of  strange  useful- 
ness and  service.  The  Servant  of  God  is  condemned 
for  declaring  what  He  is,  though  He  has  never 
claimed  the  postion  of  King,  for  He  came  ''not  to 
be  ministered   unto,   but  to  minister." 

St.  Luke  uses  the  expression  "A  superscription" 
(xxiii.  35),  and  phrases  it  "This  is  the  King  of  the 
Jews."  It  is  written  over  the  head  of  the  wondrous 
Man,  the  Prophet  and  Teacher,  the  man  of  quench- 
less sympathy  and  tireless  love.  The  only  de- 
scendant from  David  that  could  prove  His  right 
to  the  title  and  position.  He  has  used  His  oppor- 
tunity to  be  the  Man  amongst  men,  saving  many 
and  bringing  them  nearer  to  God.  It  has  not  been 
the  aim  and  purpose  of  His  life  to  be  crowned  as 
King  of  the  Jews ;  quite  the  contrary.  It  is  a 
superscription. 

St.  John  gives  us  another  variation,  and  calls  it 
"A  title"  (xix.  19),  and  describes  it  thus,  "Jesus  of 


228  The  Closing  Week. 

Nas(weth,  the  King  of  the  Jezvs.''  He  has  written 
to  declare  that  Jesus  of  Nazareth  is  the  Son  of  God ; 
he  therefore  carefully  preserves  the  term  of  humilia- 
tion and  reproach — "of  Nazareth," — and  connects 
it  with  the  accusation,  and  defines  carefully  the 
Person  accused. 

The  FULL  sentence  probably  was,. 'This  is  Jesus 
of  Nazareth,  the  King  of  the  Jews."  The  name  in 
full  and  the  crime  in  full,  written  in  Hebrew,  Greek 
and  Latin.  These  three  languages  would  convey 
to  three  distinct  classes  the  great  fact  that  God 
would  have  the  world  know  concerning  Jesus. 

Hebrew  would  attract  the  notice  of  the  educated 
religious  section  of  the  concourse  then  present :  they 
shall  read  in  the  language  of  their  sacred  Scriptures 
the  sacred  Name  and  the  solemn  fact  that  they  have 
all  along  denied. 

Greek  was  the  spoken  language  of  the  market 
and  the  common  people.  They  shall  read,  then,  in 
their  everyday  tongue,  the  superscription  over  that 
bowed  head. 

Latin  was  the  language  of  the  government  of 
Rome,  and  the  governing  powers  shall  know  who, 
and  what,  He  is  who  hangs  upon  the  tree  of  curse. 

In  this  unexpected  manner,  then,  is  proclaimed  to 
the  world  the  truth  of  John  iii.  i6:  "God  so  loved 
the  world  that  He  gave  His  only  begotten  Son,  that 


The  Closing  Week.  229 

whosoever  believeth  in  Him  should  not  perish,  but 
have  eternal  life." 

I  HEAR  TEN  THOUSAND  VOICES. 

I   hear  ten  thousand  voices   singing 

Their  praises  to  the  Lord  most  high; 
Far  distant  shores  and   hills  are  ringing 

With    anthems   of   their   nations'   joy, — 
"Praise  ye  the  Lord!    for  He  has  given 

To  lands  in  darkness  hid  His  light, 
As  morning  rays  light  up  the  heaven. 

His  Word  has  chased  away  our  night." 

On  China's  shores  I  hear  His  praises 

From  lips  that  once  kissed  idol  stones; 
Soon  as  His  banner  He  upraises, 

The   Spirit  moves  the  breathless  bones: 
"Speed,    speed   Thy   Word  o'er   land   and   ocean, 

The  Lord  in  triumph  has  gone  forth; 
The  nations  hear   with   strange  emotion, 

From  East  to  West,   from  South  to  North." 

The  song  has  sounded  o'er  the  waters. 

And  India's  plains  re-echo  joy; 
Beneath  the  moon  sit  India's  daughters 

Soft  singing  as  the  wheel  they  ply; 
"Thanks  to  Thee  Lord,   for  hopes  of  glory, 

The  peace  on  earth  to  us  revealed; 
Our  cherished  idols  fall  before  Thee, 

Thy   Spirit   has  our  pardon  sealed." 

On  Afric's  sunny  shore,  glad  voices 

Wake  up  the  morn  of  Jubilee; 
The  negro,  once  a  slave,   rejoices, 

Who's  freed  by   Christ,   is  doubly  free. 
"'Sing,  Brothers,   sing!  yet  many  a  nation 

Shall  hear  the  voice  of  God  and  live; 
E'en  we  are  heralds  of  salvation. 

The  Word  He  gave  we'll  freely  give." 


230  The  Closing  Week. 

Fair  are  New  Zealand's  wooded  mountains, 

Deep  glens,  blue  lakes,  and  dizzy  steeps; 
But  sweeter  than  the  murmuring  fountains 

Rises  the  song  from  holy  lips; 
"By  blood  did  Jesus  come  to  save  us, 

So   deeply   stained  with  brothers'   blood; 
Our  hearts  we'll  give  to  Him  who  gave  us 

Deliverance   from  the  fiery  flood." 

O'er  prairies  wild,  the  song  is  spreading, 
Where  once  the  war-cry  sounded  long; 

But  now  the  evening  sun  is  shedding 
His  rays  upon  a  praying  throng. 

"Lord  of  all  worlds,  Eternal  Spirit! 
Thy  light  upon  our  darkness  shed; 

For  Thy  dear  love,   for  Jesus'  merit, 
From  joyful  hearts  be  worship  paid." 

Hark!  Hark!  a  louder  sound  is  booming 

O'er  heaven  and  earth,  o'er  land  and  sea; 
The   angel's  trump  proclaims  His  coming — 

Our  day  of  endless  jubilee: 
"Hail  to  Thee  Lord!  Thy  people  praise  Thee; 

In  every  land  Thy  name  we  sing; 
On  heaven's  eternal  throne  upraise  Thee, 

Take  Thou  Thy  power  Thou  glorious  King." 

H.  W.  Fox. 


Chapter  XIII. 
THE  RESURRECTION  AND  ASCENSION. 

The  Resurrection. 

THERE  is  no  day  in  the  year  like  Easter 
Sunday,  for  joy  fulness,  hope,  and  a  strong 
sense  of  "life  abundantly."  The  Lord  risen  is  the 
Lord  triumphant,  ascended,  and  returning  to  ac- 
complish the  purpose  of  God  in  this  world.  When 
a  loved  one  dies,  how  keen  is  the  sense  of  loss ;  those 
lips  never  again  to  speak  their  words  of  love  and 
sympathy !  that  mind  no  more  to  plan  and  execute 
schemes  of  help  and  blessing  to  others !  Now  all 
that  has  been  said  and  done  has  come  to  an  end,  and 
by  degrees  the  old  words  lose  their  power,  and  the 
promises  made  can  never  be  fulfilled. 

Such  was  the  awful  blank  made  in  the  lives  of 
the  disciples  when  the  Lord  Jesus  died,  and  they 
had  no  hesitation  in  voicing  the  utter  hopelessness 
of  their  hearts.  *'We  had  hoped  that  it  was  He  who 
should  redeem  Israel."  What,  then,  was  the  Resur- 
rection but  the  raising  of  all  their  hopes,  of  all  His 
words,  of  all  the  promises  He  had  ever  uttered. 
Nothing  He  had  said  is  lost — all  is  raised  up  with 
Him,  and  possesses  a  new  force  in  consequence. 
231 


232  The  Resurrection  and  Return. 

There  is  no  more  interesting  study  than  the  events 
in  connection  with  the  resurrection,  and  their  his- 
torical order. 

HOW  DOES   HE   APPEAR,   AND  TO   WHOM. 

First.  To  Mary  Magdalene,  in  the  garden  by 
Calvary.  It  would  appear  that  very  early  in  the 
morning,  she,  with  several  other  women,  had  gone 
to  the  sepulchre  for  the  purpose  of  further  anointing 
the  body.  On  arrival,  they  found  the  stone  rolled 
away,  and  the  tomb  empty,  and  the  angelic  guard 
in  possession,  who  announced  the  resurrection,  and 
gave  them  directions  to  hasten  back  and  inform  the 
disciples,  Mary  Magdalene  must  have  hurried  alone 
to  the  house  of  Peter  and  John,  who  immediately 
ran  to  see  for  themselves,  and  found  it  to  be  as  she 
had   said. 

On  their  retiring,  she  had  remained  still  puzzled, 
with  streaming  eyes,  gazing  into  the  tomb.  Life 
for  her  without  her  Lord  was  hardly  worth  living. 
The  dead  body  would  bring  her  a  measure  of  relief, 
could  she  but  know  where  to  find  it.  Then  came 
the  sudden,  beautiful,  unexpected  revelation  of  the 
risen  Lord,  for  the  moment  mistaken,  by  her,  for 
the  gardener.  Tears  were  dried,  love  sprang  up 
into  a  holy  flame — and  she  was  the  first  evangelist 
of  the  new  hope,  the  forerunner  of  the  risen  Lord, 
commissioned  by  His  own  lips  to  announce  the  great 


The  Resurrection  and  Return.  233 

fact.  All  the  words  that  had  been  heard  from  His 
lips  are  alive  again.  His  ''Come  unto  Me,"  "Neither 
do  I  condemn  thee,"  "None  shall  pluck  them  out 
of  My  hand,"  are  instinct  with  meaning  and  power. 
She  had  called  Him  by  His  name  of  Lord ;  she  had 
believed  that  God  had  raised  Him  from  the  dead, 
and  she  was  saved — from  her  sorrow,  gloom,  dif- 
ficulty, loneliness  and  everything  else.  Rom.  x.  9 
had  its  first  illustration,  "If  thou  shalt  confess,  with 
thy  mouth,  Jesus  as  Lord,  and  shalt  believe  in  thine 
heart  that  God  hath  raised  Him  from  the  dead,  thou 
shalt  be  saved." 

Second.  To  the  other  women,  who,  in  the  mean- 
time, had  gone  on  their  way  to  seek  the  other 
disciples,  specially  the  apostles,  to  convey  to  them 
the  message,  does  He  appear.  On  the  road,  the 
Lord  met  them  with  the  "All  hail"  (Matt,  xxviii. 
9,  10) ,  and  gave  them  the  charge  to  go  and  remind 
the  disciples,  whom  He  calls  "My  brethren,"  of  the 
appointment  to  meet  Him  in  Galilee  on  a  certain 
day  He  had  previously  fixed.  There  seems  no  doubt 
but  that,  by  reminding  them  of  the  words  He  had 
spoken  in  their  hearing  many  times.  He  hoped  to 
kindle  their  faith  in  the  literal  interpretation  of  His 
promise,  "On  the  third  day  I  shall  rise  again."  But 
the  women's  words  seemed  to  them  as  idle  tales, 
and  they  believed  them  not.     The  most  precious 


234  The  Resurrection  and  Return. 

truth  for  the  times,  namely,  the  resurrection,  was 
misunderstood  by  the  disciples,  explained  away,  and 
so  became  powerless  to  effect  in  their  hearts  the 
very  revival  they  were  so  sorely  needing.  Is  there 
any  parallel  to  the  attitude  of  disciples  today  towards 
the  truth  most  needed,  namely,  the  promise  of  the 
return  of  the  Lord  personally?  Is  not  this  just  as 
much  misunderstood,  and  unexpected,  and  treated 
as  an  idle  tale? 

Third.  To  Simon  Peter.  The  apostle  Paul,  in 
I.  Cor.  XV.  5,  states  that  *'the  Lord  appeared  to 
Simon."  This  is  referred  to  in  Luke  xxiv.  34. 
When,  where  and  how,  we  have  no  record.  Why? 
His  failure  in  the  denial  of  his  Master,  followed  by 
the  melting  look  of  love  from  that  Master,  had  cre- 
ated a  deeper  need  in  his  soul  than  in  that  of  any 
other  disciple.  For  him,  the  Lord  has  the  most  af- 
fectionate longing ;  He  must  seek  him  out  to  comfort 
him,  reassure  him,  remove  all  sense  of  guilt,  impart 
the  results  of  the  atonement  now  accomplished, 
namely,  the  remission  of  sins.  The  most  needy  one 
shall  hear  the  first  message ;  hence  the  broken  heart 
is  the  first  to  be  bound  up,  and  the  tears  of  repent- 
ance and  bitter  remorse  shall  be  the  first  to  be  wiped 
away. 

Fourth.  In  the  evening  of  this  wondrous  day,  the 
TWO  DISCIPLES,  who  had  spent  the  day  in  Jerusalem, 


The  Resurrection  and  Return.  235 

were  wending  their  way  home  to  Emmaus.  They 
had  come,  hoping  against  hope,  for  comfort,  light 
and  cheer  amid  the  awful  depression  produced  by 
the  events  of  Calvary.  But  they  were  filled  with 
sadness  on  account  of  the  strange  and  contradictory 
rumours  that  were  in  circulation.  The  brethren,  as 
a  body,  were  certain  the  Lord  could  not  have  been 
raised  from  the  dead.  None  of  them  had  seen  Him 
— yet  the  grave  was  empty ;  the  women  had  been 
there  and  found  it  so,  and  had  added  that  they  had 
seen  and  spoken  with  angels,  who  affirmed  that  He 
was  alive.  The  state  of  the  grave-clothes,  undis- 
turbed in  their  folds,  went  to  prove  that  no  human 
hand  had  taken  away  the  body,  otherwise  the  grave- 
clothes  would  have  disappeared  also,  or  at  least  been 
left  in  disorder.  So  fully  had  the  idea  taken  pos- 
session of  them  that  He  could  not  rise  from  the 
dead,  that  the  proofs  that  He  had  done  so  were 
powerless  to  convince  them.  Such  is  the  blinding 
power  of  unbelief;  it  makes  men  irrational  and  il- 
logical, when  they  think  that  they  are  particularly 
clear  in  their  reasoning  faculties  and  their  logical 
conclusions.  While  in  this  state,  the  Lord  drew 
near  and  joined  in  their  conversation,  spending  the 
time  in  expounding  to  them,  from  the  Old  Testa- 
ment Scriptures,  the  things  concerning  Himself. 
Thus  the  written  Word  prepared  the  way  for  the 


236  The  Resurrection  and  Return. 

living  Word.  It  was  the  evening  meal,  in  the 
breaking  of  bread,  that  He  revealed  Himself  to  their 
wondering  gaze.  They  opened  their  home;  He 
opened  the  Scriptures,  then  their  understandings, 
and  then  their  eyes,  so  that  they  returned,  the  same 
evening,  to  the  upper  room  meeting  to  announce 
that  He  was  risen  from  the  dead. 

Fifth.       To    THE    COMPANY    IN    THE    UPPER    ROOM^ 

when  a  number  (not  only  the  ten  apostles)  were 
met  together,  most  of  them  still  in  doubt,  and  dis- 
cussing the  question  of  the  resurrection,  the  Lord 
suddenly  appeared  with  the  gracious  salutation, 
''Peace  he  unto  you/'  followed  by  the  invitation  to 
handle  Him,  and  see  whether  He  were  not  indeed 
the  crucified  Lord.  Compare  the  two  accounts  given 
in  Luke  xxiv.  36-40  and  John  xx.  19-23,  for  all  the 
details  of  this  scene.  The  first  declaration  of  peace 
was  in  connection  with  the  cross,  and  all  that  the 
cross  had  accomplished  for  them.  The  second 
declaration  of  peace  was  followed  by  the  words, 
''Receive  ye  the  Holy  Ghost,"  and  the  commission  to 
be  sent  into  the  world  by  the  Lord,  as  He  had  been 
sent  by  the  Father. 

The  life  of  the  Sent  One,  with  its  utter  self-nega- 
tion, surrender  to  God,  dependence  on  God  for  the 
words  to  speak,  work  to  do,  guidance  in  all  details, 
and  with  the  great  equipment  of  the  infilHng  and 


The  Resurrection  and  Return.  237 

indwelling  of  the  Holy  Spirit,  had  been  before  them. 
They  are  now  to  be  launched  out  in  the  same  work, 
with  the  same  divine  power  and  fitness,  to  live  a 
similar  life  of  utter  self-effacement,  to  the  glory  of 
God. 

On  this  blessed  Easter  day,  then,  He  has  appeared 
to  one,  to  two,  to  many.  He  has  revealed  Himself 
in  a  garden,  by  the  roadside,  in  a  private  house,  at 
a  meeting  of  disciples.  He  has  come  in  exquisite 
grace  and  tenderness  to  a  sorrowing,  lonely,  broken- 
hearted one,  full  of  love  to  Him  for  what  He  has 
done  for  her,  when,  finding  her  in  the  awful  power 
of  the  enemy.  He  had  delivered  her  from  Satanic 
power,  and  how  ''He.  satisfies  the  longing  soul." 

Had  He  not  said,  "Where  two  or  three  are  gath- 
ered together  in  My  Name,  there  am  I  in  the  midst 
of  them?''  And  now,  as  He  sees  the  women 
hastening  to  announce  Him  to  the  brethren.  He 
joins  them,,  and  appears  to  them,  thus  fulfilling  His 
promise.  Similarly,  in  the  Emmaus  home,  as  those 
heads  were  bowed,  and  thanks  were  given  to  God 
for  the  food  before  them,  and  those  hearts  had  been 
fired  by  His  own  matchless  exposition  of  Scripture, 
were  they  not  met  together  in  His  Name,  though 
unbelief  had  clouded  the  vision,  and  doubt  had  pre- 
vented full  recognition?  Still  His  promise  held 
good.  He  is  there,  and  the  revelation  that  burst 
upon  them  filled  them  with  joy  unspeaika^ble. 


238  The  Resurrection  and  Return. 

Or  again,  is  there  a  heart  overweighted  by  sin 
and  failure,  broken  down  under  an  awful  sense  of 
hopeless  despair,  and  stricken  by  the  silence  of 
Calvary?  He,  the  risen  One,  will  seek  him  out,  and 
will  manifest  to  him,  first  of  all  of  the  band  of  men, 
the  triumph  over  sin  and  guilt  and  shame,  and  give 
to  Simon  Peter  the  kiss  of  reconciliation.  It  is  the 
secret  welcome  of  love  to  a  repenting  but  loving 
disciple. 

And  lastly,  as  they  gather  in  that  most  sacred 
spot,  the  upper  room,  where  He  had  last  met  them 
and  given  them  those  exquisitely  tender  words  re- 
corded in  John  xiv.,  xv.  and  xvi.,  He  takes  His 
accustomed  place,  presides  over  their  meeting,  begins 
it  with  the  benediction,  and  continues  it  as  a  blessed 
experience  meeting  for  all,  and  any,  who  will  touch 
Him  with  the  finger  of  faith. 

Such  is  the  picture  of  the  risen  Lord,  and  He  is 
the  same  yesterday,  today  and  for  ever.  Expect  to 
meet  Him  by  the  roadside,  in  the  garden,  at  the 
supper-table,  in  the  home,  in  the  assembly  of  the 
people  of  God,  or  when  bowed  down  under  an  op- 
pressive sense  of  failure  and  sin.  He  comes.  He 
appears — the  victor  over  your  sin,  the  comforter 
in  your  sorrow,  the  only  satisfaction  for  a  lonely, 
loving  heart,  t©  make  glad  and  strong,  to  baptize  in 
the  Holy  Ghost,  and  to  commission  for  w6rk  in  the 


The  Resurrection  and  Return.  239 

world.  Expect  Him,  and  He  will  appear.  He  is 
the  Lord  of  gladness,  the  Giver  of  joy,  and  the 
Restorer  of  life  to  all. 

Sixth.  To  the  same  company  with  Thomas. 
"But  Thomas,  called  Didymus,  one  of  the  twelve, 
was  not  with  them  when  Jesus  came"  (John  xx.  24). 
During  the  week  ushered  in  by  Easter  Sunday,  the 
events  of  that  evening  meeting  had  been  made 
known  to  Thomas.  Glowing  with  hope  and  love, 
some  of  them  had  probably  described  the  whole 
scene,  telling  of  the  sudden  quiet  appearing,  the 
salutation  of  benediction,  the  oiifer  for  any  of  them 
to  handle  Him  and  see  that  it  was  truly  Himself, 
and  the  showing  of  His  hands  and  feet,  pierced  by 
the  nails.  All  had  been  unbelieving  up  to  that  even- 
ing meeting;  now  Thomas,  possibly  not  more  un- 
believing than  the  rest,  and  certainly  quite  as  af- 
fectionate, feels  hardly  able  as  yet  to  believe  the 
wondrous  news.  He  longs  to  do  so,  but  he  needs 
proof  as  fully  corroborative  as  they  had  had,  and 
says  so,  "Except  I  shall  see  in  His  hands  the  print 
of  the  nails,  and  put  my  finger  into  the  print  of  the 
nails,  and  thrust  my  hand  into  His  side,  I  will  not 
believe."  He  asks  for  the  same  tests  as  they  have 
had  for  the  confirmation  of  the  fact,  so  intensely  im- 
portant and  almost  irripossible.  Thomas  fears  any 
deception,  any  raising  of  hopes  to  be  dashed  to  the 


240  The  Resurrection  and  Return. 

ground  again,  as  already  his  had  been.  Strong  in 
his  love  and  devotion  to  his  Lord,  he  cannot  bear  the 
thought  of  any  possible  mistake;  hence  his  attitude 
toward  the  announcement. 

Maybe  he  has  been  a  little  unfairly  held  up  as  an 
example  of  great  unbelief  and  doubt.  In  reality,  he 
was  not  more  so  than  any  of  his  companions.  So,  on 
the  following  Sunday  evening,  when  in  the  same 
upper  room,  they  were  met  together,  and  Thomas 
was  with  them,  the  gracious  Lord  appeared  on  the 
scene,  and  immediately  offered  to  him  the  same 
opportunity  of  testing  the  reality  of  the  resurrec- 
tion as  had  been  accorded  to  the  others — "Reach 
hither  thy  finger  and  see  my  hands,"  etc.  It  was 
the  gracious  act  of  the  Master  to  meet  a  disciple's 
difficulty.  Then  came  the  most  magnificent  declar- 
ation recorded  from  the  lips  of  a  disciple  that  week, 
"My  Lord  and  my  God.''  This  was  the  utterance 
of  abandonment  of  life  to  Christ  as  God,  the  domi- 
nation over  him,  not  of  love  only,  but  of  life  and 
power.  So  complete,  unique  and  splendid  has  been 
the  victory  over  death  and  the  grave,  that  heaven 
has  opened  over  his  soul,  and  he  is  bathed  in  the 
sunshine  of  the  face  of  God.  A  risen  Christ  has 
for  ever  chased  away  all  the  clouds  of  doubt  and 
gloom. 

The  seventh  appearing  recorded  is  found  in  John 
xxi.   1-14,  and  must  be  taken  in  connection  with 


The  Resurrection  and  Return.  241 

some  verses  in  Matthew's  gospel.  In  chapter  xxvi. 
32,  the  Lord,  while  going  up  the  Mount  of  Olives, 
after  the  Passover  Supper,  said  to  the  disciples, 
"After  I  am  raised  up,  I  will  go  before  you  into 
Galilee/'  Evidently,  He  had  made  an  appointment 
with  a  large  number  of  the  believing  men  in  Galilee 
to  meet  Him  on  a  certain  day,  in  a  certain  place. 
They  would  have  had  no  idea  of  the  events  to  trans- 
pire in  Jerusalem,  for  only  to  the  inner  company  of 
disciples  had  the  Lord  announced  His  approaching 
death  and  resurrection.  To  these  country  disciples 
it  would,  therefore,  be  a  simple  arrangement  for 
another  visit  to  be  paid  by  their  Lord  some  weeks 
hence.  Reminding  the  eleven  of  this,  in  order  to 
stay  their  hearts  in  the  approaching  hours  of  awful 
darkness  and  death.  He  wended  His  way  to  Gethse- 
mane.  On  the  Easter  Sunday  morning,  the  angels 
bid  the  women  at  the  tomb  go  and  tell  the  disciples, 
"He  is  risen  from  the  dead,  lo !  He  ^oeth  before  you 
into  Galilee."  It  was  a  gracious  message  to  re- 
kindle faith  in  Him  by  reminding  themi  of  the  ap- 
pointment (Matt,  xxviii.  7).  This  was  further  con- 
firmed by  the  Lord  Himself,  Who,  meeting  the 
women  on  the  way,  said  to  them,  "Go,  tell  My 
brethren  that  they  depart  into  Galilee;  there  shall 
they  see  me"  (xxviii.  10).  Strange  how  powerless 
were  the  words  to  quicken  faith  and  rekindle  hope. 


242  The  Resurrection  and  Return. 

"Their  words  seemed  to  them  as  idle  tales,  and  they 
believed  them  not."  The  Lord  had  made  most 
beautiful  arrangements  to  keep  faith  alive.  Alas! 
that  unbelief  should  win  the  day. 

In  John  xxi.  is  the  beginning  of  the  story  that 
tells  of  the  keeping  of  the  appointment  by  the 
disciples.  Seven  of  them  have  gone  north  to  await 
Him,  and  be  at  the  meeting  convened,  and  have  ar- 
rived at  the  shore  of  the  lake  over  night.  How  shall 
they  spend  the  interval  ?  Very  naturally,  Peter  sug- 
gests a  turn  at  the  old  boat  and  a  night's  fishing. 
Was  it  an  act  of  declension?  Did  it  indicate  any 
impatience  or  lack  of  love  and  obedience  ?  Thinking 
of  the  circumstances,  what  more  simple  than  thus  to 
spend  the  time.  The  ready  acquiescence  of  the 
others,  some  of  whom  were  not  fishermen,  points 
rather  to  this  view  of  occupying  themselves  till 
morning,  than  to  an  idea  of  declension  of  heart,  as 
has  so  often  been  asserted.  True,  they  caugfit 
nothing ;  but  what  of  the  conversation  of  those  seven 
men  through  the  night?  Would  not  Nathaniel  and 
Thomas  have  much  to  talk  over,  and  may  not  the 
night  have  been,  after  all,  well  spent  for  spiritual 
edification,  a  far  more  important  purpose  than 
catching  fish  ?  If  success  only  means  proof  of  being 
in  the  right  place,  there  have  been  many  more 
serious  times  than  this. 


The  Resurrection  and  Return.  243 

In  the  morning  early,  on  the  beach,  stands  the 
figure,  but  dimly  perceived  in  the  haze,  of  the  risen 
Lord  hailing  them'  in  the  boat,  asking  after  their 
welfare,  taking  an  interest  in  the  passing  occupation 
of  the  hour,  and  lovingly  enquiring  about  them, 
with  an  additional  suggestion  to  gladden  their 
hearts  with  success  in  their  work,  "Cast  the  net  on 
the  right  side  of  the  ship,  and  ye  shall  find."  It 
was  the  Lord  entering  into  their  pursuits  for  the 
time  being,  and  utilizing  them  for  His  gracious 
purposes,  for  He  wants  a  big  haul  of  fish,  and  He 
finds  the  men  ready  for  the  work  and  delighted  to 
be  of  service.  Then  came  the  unveiling  of  the  un- 
known form,  ''It  is  the  Lord."  Little  they  expected 
Him  to  be  round  there  so  early  and  watching  them 
so  keenly;  nay,  more.  He  has  foreseen  their  needs, 
got  the  fire  lighted  on  the  shore,  the  bread  and 
fish  are  cooked  for  them,  and  now  He  invites  them, 
hungry,  yet  cheery,  to  "Come  and  breakfast."  He 
is  the  servant  still,  waiting  on  His  disciples,  loving 
them,  caring  for  them,  and  stooping  in  infinite  com- 
passion to  give  them  a  hearty  meal.  So  they  have  a 
preliminary  meeting  with  Him,  full  of  delight  and 
joy;  and  then,  at  His  bidding,  the  fish  caught  are 
gathered  up  and  counted,  for  they  will  be  wanted 
that  day. 

Eighth.  To  the  five  hundred  men.  Is  it  not  the 
day  for  the  great  convention  of  men  only,  arranged 


244  ^^^^  Resurrection  and  Return. 

so  many  weeks  ago?  and  has  not  the  foresight  of 
the  Lord  provided  for  the  commissariat?  "He 
knoweth  our  frame,  He  remembereth  we  are  but 
dust."  No  record  is  given  of  the  great  meeting, 
save  the  one  Hne  in  i  Cor.  xv.  6,  "He  appeared  to 
five  hundred  brethren  at  once."  Imagine  the  scene. 
A  great  gathering  of  eager,  expectant  men  from  all 
over  the  country,  some  of  whom  have  heard  the 
strange  tidings  of  the  Passover  events  in  Jerusalem ; 
how  there  had  been  the  execution  of  three  supposed 
criminals  on  Calvary  by  the  Roman  governor,  one 
of  whom  was  their  beloved  Master.  Some  of  them, 
too,  had  been  up  for  the  Passover  feast,  and  had 
seen  it  all,  hardly  able  to  believe  their  eyes — not  a 
voice  or  hand  raised  on  His  behalf — and  yet.  He 
had  made  an  appointment  to  meet  them  all  on  that 
special  day. 

Was  He  really  coming?  Was  He  alive?  Had 
He  triumphed?  What  did  it  all  mean?  Keen  ex- 
pectation, intense  excitement  were  there,  and  then, 
in  twos  and  threes,  or  tens  and  twenties,  they  gather 
together.  Can  you  see  any  of  them?  There  come 
up  the  hill  the  sick  of  the  palsy  that  was,  and  his 
four  bearers;  just  behind,  the  young  man  from 
Nain  and  his  little  party  of  bearers ;  yonder,  the 
two  men  from  Gadara,  rejoicing  in  God ;  the  Samari- 
tan leper,  who  has  never  let  that  loud  voice  of  his 


The  Resurrection  and  Return,  245 

get  quiet;  Bartimeus  and  Zaccheus  from  Jericho; 
the  mam  whose  right  hand  had  been  withered ;  the 
demoniac  in  the  synagogue,  who  had  disturbed 
the  service;  the  leper  from  the  hillside;  the  noble- 
man and  his  son  from  Cana  of  Galilee;  some  of 
the  Samaritans  probably  who  had  met  Him  after 
the  memorable  interview  of  John  iv. ;  then  from 
Jerusalem  there  may  have  been  the  impotent  man 
from  the  Pool  of  Bethesda,  the  blind  man  of  the 
Pool  of  Siloam,  Lazarus  of  Bethany,  Nicodemus, 
and  Councillor  Joseph ;  in  short,  a  splendid  gather- 
ing of  men  who  have  been  partakers  of  His  blessing 
in  past  year,  all  trophies  of  His  grace,  now  sum- 
moned to  a  meeting  where  they  may  see  His  face 
and  together  hear  His  voice  for  the  last  time  on 
earth. 

And  what  will  be  the  topic  of  the  day's  conven- 
tion? Surely  the  purpose  in  the  Lord's  mind  must 
have  been  that  He  Himself  should  explain  to  this 
great  company  the  meaning  of  His  death  and 

RESURRECTION^     AND     THE     ADVENT     OF     THE     HOLY 

Spirit.  To  none,  apparently,  had  He  disclosed  the 
great  fact  and  purpose  of  the  Atonement.  All  that 
He  had  passed  through  appeared  to  be  but  Jewish 
hate,  malice  and  rejection,  now  so  wonderfully  coun- 
teracted by  the  resurrection.  But  to  these  believers 
might  it  not  have  been  a  blessed  purpose  and  a  neces- 


:246  The  Resurrection  and  Return. 

sary  thing  for  Him  to  meet  them  and  declare  the 
unsearchable  riches  of  His  grace.  How  every  eye 
would  be  riveted  on  Him!  How  every  word  would 
tell !  How  strange  for  them  to  hear  of  the  forgive- 
ness of  sins,  of  the  gospel  of  remission  of  sins  for 
all,  of  the  great  thoughts  of  God  in  redemption.  How 
grandly  must  the  cross  have  shone  out  before  their 
eyes,  and  how  superb  now  to  faith  the  marred  form, 
the  thorn-crowned  brow,  the  pierced  hands  and 
feet  of  Emmanuel.  The  whole  scene  must  have 
been  one  of  surpassing  power,  tenderness  and  inter- 
est. The  great  farewell  is  taken  by  the  Master  of 
His  disciples,  and  the  meeting  dissolves.  Back  over 
the  hills  stream  the  crowds  of  men,  fast  breaking  up 
into  knots  of  twos  and  threes  as  they  turn  hither  and 
thither  on  their  homeward  way.  How  will  they 
describe  the  convention?  What  will  be  the  report? 
Startling  to  opponents  and  enemies,  the  news  that 
He  Whom  they  thought  dead  is  indeed  alive  and 
all-powerful !  Thus  it  is  suggested  the  plans  were 
laid  for  the  reception  of  the  Holy  Spirit  on  the  Day 
of  Pentecost,  the  subsequent  spread  of  the  Truth, 
and  the  formation  of  the  Church  of  God. 

Ninth.  One  more  appearing  is  recorded,  namely, 
"He  was  seen  of  James''  (i  Cor.  xv.  7).  How,  or 
when,  nothing  is  said. 

Tenth.  And  then  came  the  closing  scene,  when 


The  Resurrection  and  Return.  247 

He  led  the  apostles  out  as  far  as  Bethany, 
and  while  blessing  them,  was  parted  from 
them.  How  that  last  walk  will  live  in  their 
memories !  No  eye  saw  Him  but  theirs,  no  passer- 
by mingled  with  the  little  group.  It  was  a  time  of 
perfect,  undisturbed  quiet,  and  the  climax,  no  doubt, 
wholly  unexpected.  The  holy  voice  giving  them  the 
last  words  of  gracious  benediction,  the  form  ascend- 
ing from  their  midst  and  soon  lost  to  view,  as  a 
cloud  hid  Him'  from  their  sight.  Will  they  never 
hear  Him  again,  or  see  Him  again?  It  is  not  death 
that  has   severed  Him  from  them  now,  but  Life, 

LIFE   ABUNDANT,    TRIUMPHANT    and   GLORIOUS Life 

to  be  poured  forth  in  new  forms  and  under  new 
conditions ;  Life  to  be  communicable  to  a  multitude 
throughout  the  world,  when  the  Holy  Spirit  shall 
have  come. 

Such  are,  in  brief,  the  stories  of  the  appearings 
of  the  risen  Lord,.  We  wait  for  the  great  and  next 
appearing,  when  He  will  summon  a  great  host  to 
meet  Him.  The  m.ountain  in  Galilee  was  one  place 
of  meeting,  the  air  will  be  the  next  appointment. 
The  whole  Church  will  be  there,  trophies  of  His 
mighty  grace  and  power  gathered  from  all  nations 
and  climes.  Lepers,  blind,  lame,  deaf,  dumb, 
demon-possessed,  all  delivered  by  Him— all  having 
received  the  remission  of  sins;  and  the  topic,  the 
unfolding  of  the  purposes  of  God  through  the  Lord 


248  The  Resurrection  and  Return. 

Jesus  in  the  coming  glory.  Great  things  are  yet  to 
come  out  of  the  atonement,  great  triumphs  will  He 
in  the  future,  and  the  Church  of  God,  redeemed  and 
Spirit-filled,  is  to  be  the  executive  force  through 
whom  these  glories  will  be  achieved. 

THE    ASCENSION. 

Of  the  Ascension,  St.  Matthew  makes  no  mention 
at  all.  He  closes  his  narrative  with  the  personal 
promise  of  the  presence,  ''Lo,  I  am  with  you  alway." 
Though  ascended,  yet  here  in  the  power  and  author- 
ity of  the  Throne. 

St.  Mark  tells  us  ''He  was  received  up  into 
heaven"  (xvi.  19), — a  strong  contrast  to  the  words 
of  John  i.  II,  "He  came  unto  His  own,  and  His  own 
received  Him  not."  But  he  is  to  be  received  now  on 
earth  by  faith  into  the  hearts  of  believers  as  the 
ascended  Lord,  that  they  may  become  the  Sons  of 
God.  "As  many  as  received  Him,  to  them  gave  He 
authority  to  become  sons  of  God"  (John  i.  12). 

St.  Luke  says,  "He  was  carried  up  into  heaven" 
(xxiv.  51),  and  in  his  second  account,  in  Acts  i.  9, 
"He  was  taken  up."  The  weeping  Mary  asked  the 
gardener  where  he  had  home  the  dead  body,  and  the 
apostle  Peter  spoke,  on  the  day  of  Pentecost,  of 
those  wicked  hands  that  had  taken  and  slain  Him. 
Now    heaven    has    reversed    earth*s    verdict,    and 


The  Resurrection  and  Return.  249 

throughout  the  narrative  there  is  impressed  on  the 
mind,  first,  the  absolute  dependence  and  obedience  of 
the  Son,  though  the  risen  Lord;  and,  secondly,  the 
action  of  heaven  versus  the  treatment  on  earth.  The 
Son  of  God  waited  till  He  was  sent  for  and  carried 
up  into  heaven.  He  was  raised  up;  He  was 
taken  up. 

We,  too,  wait  till  we  are  sent  for,  to  be  carried  by 
the  angels  into  the  Lord's  presence,  or  to  be  trans- 
lated by  His  sovereign  power  and  will  and  by  the 
shout  of  His  call. 

St.  John  makes  no'  mention  of  the  ascension,  but 
quotes  the  many  allusions  to  it  that  fell  from  our 
Lord's  lips,  such  as  vi.  62;  vii.  33,  34,  39;  viii.  14, 
21 ;  xii.  26;  xiv.  2,  12,  19,  28;  xvi.  5,  7,  28;  xx.  17. 

He  has  gone;  but  He  is  to  return,  and  to  return 
by  the  way  He  went. 

THE  SECOND  ADVENT 

is  the  hope  of  the  Church  and  the  pledge  of  the 
blessing  to  the  world.  How  do  the  four  writers  im- 
press this  fact  upon  their  readers?  What  are  the 
prominent  features  of  the  Lord's  testimony  con- 
cerning it? 

St.  Matthew,  writing  from  the  standpoint  of  the 
kingdom,  gives  us  the  parable  in  which  the  Marriage 
of  the  King's  Son  is  referred  to,  and  follows  it  with 


250  The  Resurrection  and  Return. 

the  parable  of  chap,  xxv.,  containing  the  words, 
"Behold  the  Bridegroom  cometh,"  continuing  the 
report  of  the  Lord's  utterances  till  He  reaches  the 
climax,  **When  the  Son  of  Man  shall  come  in  his 
glory,  and  all  the  holy  angels  with  him,  then  shall 
he  sit  upon  the  throne  of  his  glory."  The  exhorta- 
tion based  upon  the  statement  is,  Be  watchful.  Be 
ready,  Have  oil.  He  is  coming  to  execute  law,  and 
govern  in  power. 

St.  Mark,  in  chap.  xiii.  35,  specially  emphasizes  the 
phase  of  His  coming  as  a  Master  returning  to  His 
household.  In  this  passage  only  do  we  find  the  allu- 
sion to  the  four  night  watches,  in  any  one  of  which 
the  Master  may  appear.  It  is  one  of  those  appa- 
rently simple  statements  that  expands  into  great 
vistas  of  truth.  The  mention  of  the  night-watches 
suggests  a  night  time  as  the  interval  between  the 
disappearance  and  reappearance  of  the  Lord.  In 
the  night  time  work  must  be  done  by  lamplight; 
hence  the  force  of  His  words :  ''Ye  are  the  light  of 
the  world";  "Let  your  loins  be  girded  and  your 
lamps  burning,  and  be  ye  as  men  that  wait  for  their 
Lord."  When  the  sun  rises  night  vanishes,  and 
lamps  vanish  and  the  whole  world  is  bathed  in  light. 

The  division  of  the  night  into  four  watches — 
called  Evening,  Midnight,  Cock-crowing,  Morning 
— suggests  the  enquiry,  Does  history  supply  any  in- 


The  Resurrection  and  Return.  251 

formation  up  to  the  present  time  bearing  out  this 
division?  The  answer  is  that  there  are  the  clearest 
historical  confirmations  of  such  a  division. 

When  the  Lord  had  died  and  gone  from  the  sight 
of  the  world,  the  Holy  Spirit  descended  after  the 
Ascension,  and  kindled  the  lamps  of  the  120  disciples 
in  the  upper  room,  adding,  by  the  evening  of  that 
day,  3,cx)0  more.  The  events  of  Pentecost  mark  the 
first  appointment  of  the  Evening  Watch  of  the 
Church.  From  that  hour  she  began  to  watch  for  her 
returning  Lord.  The  Apostle  Peter  refers  to  it  in 
Acts  iii.  Later  on  the  Apostle  Paul  preached  it,  and 
wrote  his  first  two  epistles  specially  on  the  subject, 
namely,  ist  and  2d  Thessalonians. 

How  soon  the  dark  shadows  of  night  fell,  in  dis- 
sension, persecution,  faction,  division !  The  apostles 
in  their  later  writings  give  many  hints  of  the  dark- 
ening of  the  times.  The  early  centuries  passed  on, 
and  the  Church  all  unconsciously  passed  from  the 
evening  watch  into  the  Midnight  Watch,  better 
known  in  history  as  "The  Dark  Ages."  The  Papal 
power  rose  to  its  height  then,  and  boasted  of  having 
quenched  all  the  light  of  Protestantism.  Truly  the 
lamps  were  hidden,  if  not  extinguished.  It  was  the 
period  of  gross  darkness  that  covered  all  the  people. 
Suddenly  was  heard  the  shrill  "cock-crowing"  of 
Martin  Luther  that  awoke  all  Europe,  and  led  to 


252  The  Resurrection  and  Return. 

the  retrimmiing  and  relighting  many  lamps,  and 
kindling  such  a  light  as  has  never  since  been  extin- 
guished. 

Yet  the  Master  came  not  in  the  first,  second,  or 
third  watch.  By  this  we  know  we  are  in  the  "Morn- 
ing Watch,"  and  are  hereby  exhorted  all  the  more 
earnestly  to  be  Waiting,  Watching,  Working,  Wit- 
nessing, Warring. 

St.  Luke,  in  chap.  xix.  11-27,  gives  us  the  parable 
of  the  Pounds,  in  which  the  Lord  represents  Himself 
as  coming  back  to  a  kingdom,  having  previously 
given  to  His  servants  their  instructions  as  to  occupy- 
ing with  His  business  left  to  them.  In  the  parable 
the  main  thought  is,  Position  in  the  administration 
of  the  affairs  of  the  future  kingdom  in  proportion  to 
faithfulness  in  service  with  what  was  entrusted  to 
the  servants.  Diligence  and  faithfulness  will  be  the 
keywords  to  the  lesson  here.  Watchfulness  is  not  to 
be  idleness,  nor  theorizing  about  the  coming,  but 
the  practical  application  of  all  one's  powers  in  useful 
aggressive  work  for  the  absent  Lord,  according  to 
His  revealed  will. 

In  St.  John's  Gospel  very  little  definite  mention  is 
made  of  this  subject.  In  chap.  xiv.  3  the  Lord  says, 
"If  I  go  away,  I  will  come  again,  and  receive  you 
unto  myself."    It  is  the  thought  of  a  Friend  coming 


The  Resurrection  and  Return.  253 

to  meet  and  welcome  friends  as  His  guests,  the  fu- 
ture sharers  of  His  home  and  estate. 

Putting  all  the  different  ideas  together  we 
have  a  returning  Sovereign  to  take  charge  of  a  king- 
dom ;  a  glorious  Person — a  Bridegroom  to  claim  and 
receive  His  Bride ;  an  Employer  of  servants  to  look 
into  and  reward  faithfulness  by  promotion  to  a  very 
much  higher  sphere  of  service;  a  Householder  re- 
turning to  His  house;  a  Friend  entertaining  and 
welcoming  His  friends. 

Throughout  Scripture  much  more  will  be  found 
concerning  the  Lord's  Return,  but  all  may  be 
grouped  under  these  different  heads,  as  given  us  in 
these  four  Gospels. 

"Beloved,  now  are  we  children  of  God,  and  it  is 
not  yet  made  manifest  zvhat  we  shall  be.  We  know 
if  he  shall  be  manifested  we  shall  be  like  him,  for  we 
shall  see  him  ezmi  as  he  is"  (i  John  iii.  2). 

CHRIST  RETURNETH. 


It  may  be  at  morn  when  the  day  is  awaking, 

When   sunlight  through  darkness  and  shadow  is  breaking, 

That  Jesus  will   come  in   the   fulness  of  glory, 
To  receive  from  the  world  "His  own." 

O  Lord  Jesus  how  long,  how  long. 

Ere  we  shout  the  glad  song, 
Christ  returneth.   Hallelujah  1 

Hallelujah!     Amen. 


254  The  Resurrection  and  Return. 

It  may  be  at  midnight,  it  may  be  at  twilight, 

It  may  be,   perchance,   that  the  blackness  of  midnight 

Will  burst  into  light,  in  the  blaze  of  His  glory, 
When  Jesus  receives  "His  own." 

While   hosts  cry   Hosanna,    from   heaven  descending, 
With  glorified  saints  and  the  angels  attending, 

With  grace  on  His  brow  like  a  halo  of  glory, 
Will  Jesus  receive  "His  own." 

Oh  joy!  Oh  delight!  should  we  go  without  dying, 
No  sickness,  no  sadness,  no  dread,  and  no  crying. 

Caught  up  through  the  clouds  with  our  Lord  in  the  glory, 
\V  hen  Jesus  receives  "His  own." 

H.  L.  Turner. 


APPENDIX 


What  is  the  True  Explanation  of  the 
Death  of  Christ? 


A  great  c'hmige  has  come  over  the  habits  of  fhought  and 
expression  in  recent  years,  with  regard  to  the  evangeHstic 
presentation  of  the  Death  of  Christ.  Many  phrases,  that 
were  current  coin  at  one  time  are  seldom,  if  ever,  heard 
now.  The  trend  "has  been,  and  is,  to  deny,  if  not  purposely 
to  omit,  tlhe  doctrine  of  the  Atonement,  that  is  the  sacrifice 
of  Chrtist  for  sin:  This  change  may  partly  be  accounted  for 
by  objection  to  tlie  phraseology  of  some  popular  hymns 
concerning  the  dteath  and  blood  of  Christ.  In  these  days 
of  keen  criticism  and  close  examination  of  statements,  cer- 
tain of  these  phrases  have  necessarily  and  fairly  come  un- 
der close  scrutiny,  and  have  been  pronounced  untrue, 
coarse,  misleading,  and  highly  objectionable.'-  This  need 
create  no  surprise.  It  slhould,  however,  lead  to  all  the 
closer  enquiry  as  to  what  tlhe  Scripture  actually  does  say, 
and  not  aS'  to  how  Tiymn-writers  describe  these  facts. 

One  of  the  objections  most  frequently  raised  is  to  the 
statement  that  "the  innocent  suffered  for  the  guilty."  This 
is  a  very  fair  objection,  inasmuch  as  there  is  no  such  state- 
ment to  be  found  in  Scripture.  Tlie  association  with  the 
word  "irmocent"  is  that  of  ignorance.  We  speak  of  an  in- 
nocent child,  and  we  mean  that  the  child  has  had  no  oppor- 
tunity of  contact  with  evil  knowledge,  and  has  a  mind  pure 
in  consequence.    But  suc'h  is  not  the  fact  when  we  have  to 


256  Appendix. 

describe  the  Son  of  God.  He  was  pure  and  holy,  but  was 
fully  aware  of  the  whole  awful  condition  of  siin  in  wbidh 
the  world  was,  and  whicli  was  infecting  and  destroying 
every  human  being.  His  was  not  the  innocence  of  ignor- 
ance, but  the  purity  of  God.  Therefore,  the  word  "just"  is 
the  word  used  to  describe  Him.  "He  died  the  just  for  tihe 
unjust,  that  He  might  bring  us  to  God."  The  word  "just" 
implies  a  righteous  mind,  perfectly  aware  of  the  full  ex- 
istence of  sin,  but  uncontaminated  by  it.  Hence  the  objec- 
tion falls  to  the  ground  that  is  raised  against  the  "innocent 
suffering  for  the  guilty."  H  He  suffers  with  the  full  con- 
sciousness of  all  it  would  involve  Him  in,  and  with  the  full 
consent  of  His  will,  and  by  the  fixed  purpose  of  His  own 
'heart,  no  objection  can  be  raised  on  the  ground  of  fairness, 
or  legality,  or  morality. 

Th'C  usual  view-point  of  the  death  of  Christ  is  in  refer- 
ence to  the  provision  for  human  need  and  to  the  salvation 
that  is  thus  supplied.  Let  us,  however,  try  and  change  the 
view-point  altogether,  and  get  the  profound  mystery  of  the 
Cross  into  another,  and  possibly  a  truer  perspective. 

Let  U'S  imagine  ourselves  as  spectators  of  the  wihole 
drama  from  a  point  of  view  remote  from  this  world,  and 
without  having  any  personal  relationship  to  the  results  of 
it.  In  the  far-distant  past,  then,  we  see  the  commencement 
of  the  great  work  of  Creation,  when  gradually  the  whole 
universe  came  into  being  under  the  Divine  fiat,  and  under 
the  control  of  the  Son  of  God,  wiho  is  called  'the  "Word," 
and  who  is  spoken  of  "as  upholding  all  things  by  the  word 
of  His  power."  From  the  hand  of  God  has  sprung  a  per- 
fect creation.  A  perfect  Creator  must  have  a  per- 
fect Law  for  the  true  government  of  His  Universe.  A  per- 
fect Law  must  have  a  perfect  Administration  for  its  pro- 
tective policy,   and  equalHy  for   its  punitive  policy,   should 


Appendix.  257 

any  rebellion  ever  occur.  A  perfect  Law  must  also  have  a 
perfect  Penalty  for  its  infraction.  Such  a  government, 
with  such  perfection  of  law  and  executive,  can  have  no 
room  for  mercy,  in  the  case  of  any  law-breakers.  It  can 
only  fully  carry  out  its  own  perfect  policy,  both  in  protec- 
tion and  punishment.  Any  mere  manifestation  of  mercy 
would  be  illegal,  and  therefore  subversive  of  government. 
It  would  offer  a  premium  to  rebellion.  Hence  any  mani- 
festation of  mercy  must  be  strictly  legal,  and  can  only  be 
possible  after  there  shall  have  been  the  full  and  righteous 
settlement  of  all  the  law's  claims  against  law-breakers. 
Human  justice  must  always  be  imperfect.  Human  law 
must  have  many  loopholes  for  escape.  No  human  admin- 
istration dare  carry  out  law  strictly  as  law,  but  must  give 
chances,  and  be  pitiful  to  those  who  are  arrested  and  ar- 
raigned before  it.  But  this  is  impossible  with  Divine  law. 
The  Throne  of  God  is  established  on  Judgment  and  Jus- 
tice. Righteousness  is  the  found'ation  of  that  throne. 
Therefore,  the  administration  of  its  government  must  be 
absolutely  above  suspicion  of  mere  pity. 

In  the  due  course  of  the  Divine  will  and  purpose,  the 
creation  of  man  occurred,  under  the  terms  of  Genesis 
1 :  26,  27.  God  said :  "Let  us  make  man  in  our  image  after 
our  likeness.  So  God  created  man  in  his  own  image,  in 
the  image  of  God  created  he  him."  In  the  book  entitled 
"The  Crises  of  the  Christ,"  by  Dr.  Campbell  Morgan,  this 
statement  has  received  very  careful  and  helpful  treatment. 
He  explains  how  the  word  "image"  means  shadow,  profile, 
and  that  there  is  not  in  the  word  the  suggestion  of  similarity 
of  material  and  essence.  Therefore,  too  much  must  not  be 
miade  of  the  expression,  and  more  read  into  it  than  is  war- 
ranted from  the  words  used.  A  shadow  represents  some- 
thing, but  is  not  the  thing  itself.     It  has  nothing  of  the 


258  Appendix. 

substance  of  that  of  which  it  is  the  shadow.  But  before 
the  creation  of  man  had  taken  place,  something  else  'had 
transpired.  In  i  Peter  i :  18-20,  it  is  stated  that  the  Lord 
Jesus  was  the  Lamb  foreordained  from  before  the  founda- 
tion of  the  world.  The  word  Lamb  is  only  used  in  relation 
to  our  Lord  in  connection  with  sacrifice  for  sin.  It  has  no 
other  meaning.  What,  then,  is  suggested?  Surely  that 
long  before  the  creation  of  man  for  this  world,  and  long 
before  this  world  was  prepared  for  man,  a  council  had 
been  formed  and  an  arrangement  had  been  entered  into 
that,  in  the  event  of  such  a  thing  as  rebellion  ever  occur- 
ring in  the  world  with  its  occupant  man,  the  Son  of  God 
would  hold  Himself  personally  responsible  to  the  divine 
government  for  such,  taking  upon  Himself  all  the  contin- 
gencies and  liabilities  in  whidh  the  world  might  thereby  be 
involved.  "Fore-ordained  to  be  the  Lamb  before  the  foun- 
dation of  the  world."  To  what  a  remote  date  this  state- 
ment refers  the  purpose  of  the  'atonement!  And  why?  Is 
there  no  connection  betwen  the  creation  of  man  in  the  im- 
age of  God,  namely,  of  the  second  person  of  the  Trinity, 
and  the  purpose  of  that  Person  to  be  responsible  for  him 
and  for  the  race  in  the  event  of  the  contingency  of  re- 
bellion? 

But  the  dire  act  of  rebellion  took  place  in  the  disobedi- 
ence to  God's  word  and  will,  as  recorded  in  Gen.  2  and  3. 
Yet  how  simple  was  the  will  of  God  for  Man.  Only  one 
restriction  was  placed  upon  him ;  but  that  one  was  sufficient 
to  test  his  will  and  conscience  toward  God.  Man  fell;  the 
law  was  broken;  there  was  necessity  for  the  maintenance 
of  that  law,  and  the  vindication  of  the  righteousness  of  the 
government  that  had  enacted  that  law :  the  rebellion  was  in 
full  view  of  the  Universe.  There  were  the  countless  myriads 
of  unfallen  loyal  Intelligences  and  Angels  that  were  specta- 


Appendix.  259 

tors  of  this  rebellion.  For  them  it  was  essential  that  the  law 
should  be  maintained  in  all  its  efficiency  and  righteousness. 
Little  is  said  in  Scripture  about  this  side  of  matters,  but 
there  is  sufficient  given  to  enable  the  mind  to  glimpse  at 
the  position.  Under  the  words  used  by  St.  Paul,  "Thrones, 
Dominions,  Principalities,  Powers,  and  every  name  that  is 
named,"  is  hinted  the  existence  in  the  universe  of  these 
holy  ones.  To  them  the  spectacle  of  rebellion  must  have 
been  startling,  but  how  much  more  so  when  they  began  to 
see  the  marvelous  scheme  of  Sovereign  grace  to  be 
wrought  out  by  their  Lord  and  Prince !  No  sooner 
had  the  emergency  arisen,  than  the  Son  of  God  was  upon 
the  scene.  They  heard  the  voice  of  the  Lord  God  walking 
in  the  garden  in  the  cool  of  the  day"  (Gen,  3:8).  This  was 
none  other  than  the  Second  Person  of  the  Trinity,  for  was 
He  not  the  Word?  Then  commenced  the  preparations  for 
the  great  mystery  of  the  atonement  and  for  the  death  of 
Christ  as  the  Lamb  fore-ordained  from  before  the  founda- 
tion of  the  world.  At  once  sacrifice  was  inaugurated  that 
the  human  race  might  learn,  and  possibly  that  the  unfallen 
Intelligences  might  also  learn,  the  process  by  which  the 
sin  of  the  world  could  be  met  and  atoned  for. 

Sacrifice  has  in  it  no  idea  of  appeasement  of  the  wrath 
of  an  offended  and  angry  God.  Such  an  id^a  is  not  found 
in  the  Bible  from  cover  to  cover.  That  is  purely  heathen, 
and  had  crept  in  when  human  hearts  had  put  God  from 
their  knowledge,  and  become  darkened,  as  described  in 
Rom.  I.  Sacrifice  was  instituted  to  instruct  in  the  great 
principles  that  sin  had  caused  the  forfeiture  of  life  under 
the  law  of  God  and  that  only  could  the  rfiercy  of  God  reach 
by  the  substitution  of  one  life  for  another.  Satisfaction  of 
law  is  a  principle  of  government  whidh  is  both  divine  and 
human.     So  the  long  list  of  sacrifices  century  by  century 


26o  Appendix. 

would  silently  but  eloqently  tell  out  the  same  solemn  fact, 
and  point  to  the  One  sacrifice  for  sins  yet  to  be  offered. 

In  the  fulness  of  time  came  the  Incarnation,  when  the 
Son  of  God  entered  into  the  human  race,  becoming  identi- 
fied with  it  in  its  condition  of  need  and  alienation.  This 
fact  is  described  in  Rom.  8 :  3  as  "God  sending  His  own 
Son  in  the  likeness  of  sinful  flesh  and  for  sin,"  He  in 
whose  image  man  was  originally  made  came  into  the  'human 
image  of  Himself,  if  one  may  be  allowed  the  expression,  in 
order  to  be  responsible  for  the  damage  wrought  by  sin;  in 
order  to  take  upon  Himself  the  whole  liability,  and  undergo 
anything  and  everything  that  the  Government  of  God  had 
the  right  to  impose.  He  had  foreseen  the  whole  contin- 
gency. He  foreknew  perfectly  well  that  nothing  less  than 
the  death  penalty  awaited  Him.  He  was  not  taken  by  sur- 
prise. He  was  not  innocently  involved  in  some  dire  and 
unexpected  difficulty  and  doom.  To  Him  two  things  were 
unspeakably  dear:  First,  the  Righteousness  of  God.  Sec- 
ond, the  race  created  originally  in  His  image.  He  came  to 
fulfill  all  righteousness  (see  Matt.  3:  15).  He  came  out  of 
love  and  compassion  to  the  lost,  guilty,  and  condemned 
world.  The  supreme  difficulty  was  a  governmental  one. 
All  pardon  and  mercy,  if  displayed,  must  be  set  above  all 
possible  controversy,  all  possible  question  and  risk  of  dis- 
pute. It  must  be  as  solid  and  permanent  as  the  throne  of 
God.  None  but  He  knew  divine  requirements.  None  but 
He  knew  the  measure  of  human  guilt.  None  but  He  could 
undertake  to  let  these  two  meet  in  His  own  Person.  But 
offering  Himself  tliat  such  might  be,  there  was  no  alterna- 
tive but  for  Him  to  die  under  the  sentence  of  God's  law, 
by  whatever  process  that  sentence  might  apparently  be 
carried  out.  With  what  wonder  and  awe  may  not  the  un- 
fallen  holy  ones  have  watched  the  carrying  out  of  the  an- 


Appendix.  261 

nouncement  made  to  them,  possibly,  so  long  before,  that 
their  Lord  would  be  the  Lamb  of  God  fore-ordained  to  be 
sacrificed  for  sin  and  provide  Redemption. 

Pausing  here  for  further  reflection  do  we  not  see  that 
when  the  rebellion  broke  out  in  the  world,  which  is  but 
a  small  speck  in  the  vast  universe,  a  province  merely  of  the 
Great  Empire,  there  were  two  alternatives  before  the  mind 
of  God.  He  might  in  His  sovereign  will  and  power  simply 
annihilate  and  exterminate  the  rebellious  province  of  earth, 
and  for  ever  extinguish  it  with  all  its  infection.  Or,  He 
might  devise  some  scheme  whereby  He  might  reconcile 
the  world  unto  Himself.  This  latter  would  be  an  act  of 
sovereign  grace,  undeserved,  unsought,  unexampled,  unex- 
pected, and  would  manifest  a  new  and  hitherto  unknown 
attribute  of  His  character.  Were  there  no  sin,  there  could 
be  no  grace.  Were  there  no  rebellion,  there  could  be  no 
reconciliation.  Were  there  no  transgression,  there  could  be 
no  pardon.  Thus  out  of  abounding  sin  has  appeared 
abounding  grace  and  love,  w'hich  otherwise  could  have  had 
no  possible  manifestation. 

O    'twas  love,    'twas   wondrous   love, 

The  love  of  God  to  me; 
It   brought   my    Saviour    from    above 

To  die   on  Calvary. 

It  is  to  the  infinite  glory  of  God  that  He  should  thus 
seek  to  reconcile  the  world  unto  Himself  by  the  death  of 
His  Son.  Under  such  circumstances  there  can  be  no  fault 
found  with  the  morality  of  the  Just  One  dying  for  the  un- 
just ones,  that  He  migtit  bring  them  to  God. 

Christ  came.  He  lived  the  life  of  absolute  sinlessness 
on  earth,  proving  that  He  knew  and  loved  the  law  of  God. 
He  fulfilled  all  its  demands  and  shewed  *how  to  love  the 


262  Appendix. 

Lord  God  with  all  the  heart  and  all  the  soul,  and  all  the 
mind,  and  all  the  strength,  and  his  neighbor  as  ihimself. 
Then  was  the  heaven  opened  over  His  head  on  the  Mount 
of  Transfiguration,  and  the  voice  was  heard:  "This  is  my 
beloved  Son  in  whom  I  am  well  pleased."  The  glory  of 
His  home  streamed  down  upon  Him  and  through  Him;  and 
it  was  as  though  the  doors  were  flung  open,  and  He  invited 
to  ascend  there  and  then,  and  return  to  the  bosom  of  the 
Father.  But  had  He  done  so.  He  could  'have  taken  no  one 
with  Him.  Moses  and  Elija'h  must  be  ever  left  behind. 
Peter,  James  and  John,  representative  of  all  believers  sub- 
sequently, must  also  be  left  behind.  He  would  not  thus 
depart,  but  conversed  with  Moses  and  Elijah  of  the  other 
exodus,  the  other  way  by  which  He  would  leave  the  world. 
From  another  mountain  top  there  would  be  another  exit. 

There  is  a  green  hill  far  away 

Without  a  city  wall; 
Where  the  dear  Lord  was  crucified 

Who  died  to  save  us  all, 

HIS   OWN   DESCRIPTION    OF    HIS    DEATH. 

In  Jo'hn  10:  17,  18,  we  find  these  words  of  His:  "There- 
fore doth  my  Father  love  me  because  I  lay  down  my  life 
that  I  might  take  it  again.  No  man  taketh  it  from  me,  but 
I  lay  it  down  of  myself.  I  have  power  to  lay  it  down  and 
I  'have  power  to  take  it  again.  This  commandment  have  I 
received  of  my  Father."  How  sliall  these  words  be  under- 
stood? Do  they  not  emphasize  all  that  'has  been  already 
said  concerning  the  governmental  side  of  the  Death?  Men 
did  not  put  Him  to  death.  They  were  allowed  to  display 
all  the  hatred  and  malice  that  the  human  heart  was  capable 
of,  and  thought  that  they  had  complete  power  over  the  de- 
fenceless, helpless  One.     But  as  a  matter  of  fact  that  was 


Appendix.  263 

not  so.  He  laid  down  His  life  under  the  will  of  God,  for 
the  carrying  out  of  the  counsel  entered  into  with  God,  and 
in  order  to  fulfill  the  claims  of  the  law  against  law-'break- 
ers  and  thus  make  a  way  for  the  mercy  of  God  to  reach  and 
touch.  In  Matt.  27 :  50  a  remarkable  expression  confirms 
this.  In  our  English  version  runs  the  verse :  "Jesus  cried 
again  with  a  loud  voice,  and  yielded  up  his  spirit."  This 
last  expression  may  be  more  properly  rendered,  "Dismissed 
his  spirit."  Some  one  has  put  it,  "Commanded  his  spirit  to 
depart."  It  accords  accurately  with  His  own  statement, 
and  points  out  again  the  mystery  of  the  life  given  up  and 
poured  forth  in  agreement  with,  and  fulfilment  of,  the 
original  purpose.  It  disproves  absolutely  the  idea  that  He 
died  from  natural  causes ;  or  that  He  fell  a  martyr  to  His 
opinions;  or  that  He  could  not  help  Himself;  or  that  His 
death  was  some  unpreventable  remarkable  manifestation  of 
love.  If  it  was  only  this,  then  it  was  sheer  waste  of  a 
precious  life,  for  if  He  could  have  saved  Himself,  and  did 
not,  where  is  the  revelation  of  love?  Who  is  benefited  if 
that  is  all?  Neither  was  it  an  example  for  others  to  fol- 
low, for  no  other  can  die  under  divine  wrath  as  He  did. 
There  is  but  one  solution  to  the  mystery.  He  gave  up  His 
life  to  the  law  of  God  for  the  expiation  of  sin,  for  the  re- 
demption of  the  World;  to  shield  all  who  believe  in  Him 
from  the  possibility  of  death  as  the  result  of  rebellion 
against  the  law  of  God. 

At  the  Cross  four  predicted  requirements  were  fulfilled. 

First — The  Death  must  be  by  the  pouring  out  of  the 
Blood.  The  blood  is  the  Life.  Life  has  been  forfeited 
under  the  law.  There  must  be  irrefragable  proof  that  life 
has  been  taken,  and  this  is  only  possible  when  the  blood  has 
been  poured  out  from  the  body. 


264  Appendix. 

Second — No  bone  must  be  broken.  By  stoning,  by- 
throwing  Him  over  the  brow  of  the  Nazareth  hill,  bones 
would  have  been  broken.     Not  so  upon  the  cross. 

Third' — He  must  be  lifted  up  between  heaven  and  earth. 
Only  upon  a  cross  would  this  be  possible  with  the  other  two 
requirements. 

Fourth — He  must  die  under  the  curse  of  God.  Only  one 
death  involved  a  man  in  this.  "Cursed  be  every  one  that 
hangeth  on  a  tree."  Thus  and  thus  only  could  the  four 
predicted   requirements   be   accomplished. 

Once  more — What  met  Him'  when  put  to  death? 

Firsts-He  bore  the  sin  of  the  world.  As  Isa.  53  de- 
scribes it:  "He  bare  our  iniquities."  "He  bare  the  sin  of 
many."    "He  bare  our  griefs  and  carried  our  sorrows." 

Second — He  was  made  the  Guilt  Offering.  Made  so  by 
God  and  accepted  as  such  (Is.  53:10). 

Third' — He  was  "made  sin"  (see  2  Cor.  6:21).  It  was 
as  if  He  were  guilty  of  all  the  sin  that  had  ever  been 
committed  in  the  world.  He  was  "made"  it !  And  sin  is 
the  abominable  thing  that  God  hates.  He  was  then  hidden 
from  the  Father,  and  cried  out,  "My  God,  my  God,  why 
hast  thou  forsaken  me?" 

Fourth — The  wrath  of  God  fell  upon  Him.  He  sank  in 
the  deep  v/aters ;  all  the  floods  and  billows  passed  over 
Him. 

Fifth — He  was  then  tempted  by  sin.  Again  and  again 
was  the  suggestion  flung  at  Him,  "If  tliou  be  the  Christ, 
save  thyself  and  come  down  from  the  cross."  Could  He? 
Yes,  He  could  have  done  so  as  the  Son  of  God,  mighty 
and  sovereign.  But  it  were  impossible  not  to  do  the  will  of 
God,  not  to  obey  the  command  to  lay  down  His  life  and 
take  it  again. 


Appendix.  26$ 

Sixth — Human  hatred  was  launched  against  Him,  and 
had  its  manifestation  of  awful  hatred  and  bitterness  and 
irrational  exhibition.     "They  hated  me  without  cause." 

Seventh — Satanic  malice  did  its  worst  and  utmost  against 
Him.  What  a  culmination  of  sin  and  hostility  and  wrath 
was  at  the  cross ! 

The  true  preaching  of  the  Cross  will  explain  how  it  is 
that  the  sinner  can  be  reconciled  to  God  by  the  death  of 
His  Son,  not  God  reconciled  to  the  sinner,  for  God  has 
never  been  unreconciled,  but  has  ever  been  seeking  and 
loving  the  lost.  . 


Table  showing  the  use  ofv 


That    it    might    be 

fulfilled 

or 

Then   was  fulfilled. 


Pentateuc: 


!  :22 

2:15 

2:18 

4:14 

8:17 

12:18-21 
13:14.  15 
13:35         II 
21:4  II 

26:54,  56  II 


Ilech.       Mai. 


.9:9    I 


It    is    written 

or 

It  hath  been  said  to 

them  of  old  time. 


2:5 

4:4 

4:6 

4:7 

4:10 

5:21 

5:27 

5:31 

5:33 

5:38 

5:43 

II  :io 

21:13 

26:31 


20:13 
20:14 


Have    ye    not    read? 


12:3,  4 

12:5 

19:4 

19:5 

21:16 

21:42 

22:31 


120:9- 


1:27 
2:24 


I  3: 


Z:7    I 


Quotation. 


3:3 
9:13 
15:4 
15:4  „ 
15:7.8 
19:7 
19:18 
21:9 
22:24 
22:37 
22:39 
22:44 
23:39 


20:12    I 
21:17    I . 


Allusion. 


6:29 

8:4 
11:14 
II  :22 
12:40 
12:41 
12:42 
15:13 
16:4 
17:10, 
23:35 
24:15 
24:28 
24:37- 
26:15 
26:34, 
26:46 
27:24 


II 

II  II 

II 

II 

II 

39    II 

II 

35  II 

II 

II 


20:12-16 


4:8   I 
6*:22*| 


4:5 


2 


Table  showing  the  use  of  Old  Testament  in  construction  of  Gospel  by  Matthew 


That    it    might    be 
fulfilled 

Then   was  fulfilled. 

Pentateuch. 

Historical. 

Poetical. 

Prophetical. 

1      1 

2 

.1    1    4 

5 

6 

± 

9 

10 

11       1      12      1       13       1    11 

15 

le 

17 

18 

19 

M«tt. 

Gen. 

Ex. 

lev.       1      Num. 

Dem. 

Kings 

Job 

I».         1      Jer.      1       Esek.       |  Dan. 

Ho.. 

Ml». 

Jonah 

.ec. 

M,U. 

4:14 

1;:;;;;;; 

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7:14 

ii:i 

9:1-3 

53:4 

31:15 



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13:14. 15 
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26:54,5611 

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or 

2:5 
4:7 
s 

5:31 

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5:43 

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6:13 

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118:23 

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22:37 
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& 

tl:i4 

16:4 

17:10,  II 
23:35 

n\ii 



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14:2-32     

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BS2555.4.S692 

Four  portraits  of  the  Lord  Jesus 

Princeton  Theological  Seminary-Speer  Library 


1    1012  00032  6357 


